honestly

adverb

hon·​est·​ly ˈä-nəst-lē 

1

: in an honest manner: such as

a

: without cheating

counted the ballots honestly

b

: really, genuinely

was honestly scared

c

: without frills

food honestly prepared

2

: to be honest : to tell the truth

honestly, I don't know

Synonyms

• actually
• admittedly
• forsooth
• frankly
• indeed
• really
• truly
• truthfully
• verily

Examples of honestly in a Sentence

Officials counted the votes honestly.

The bank has always dealt honestly with me.

I can honestly say that I have never seen that man before today.

He spoke honestly about the mistakes he had made.

She honestly believes that she has been mistreated.

Recent Examples on the Web

There are some partnerships make more sense than others, and honestly, some stars just get it. —Jasmine Browley, Essence, 7 June 2024

And honestly, small-property owners probably do not want to deal with the general public either. —Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 June 2024

Express yourself honestly, direct your energy wisely, and help yourself and those in need. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 2 June 2024

But honestly, the season, Neriah being on tour, the kids graduating, it's just been ... —Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 2 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

honestly

adverb

hon·​est·​ly ˈän-əst-lē 

1

: in an honest manner: as

a

: without cheating

counted the votes honestly

b

: actually, genuinely

was honestly scared

2

: to be honest : to tell the truth

honestly, I don't understand it