honestly

adverb

hon·​est·​ly ˈä-nəst-lē How to pronounce honestly (audio)
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

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 See all Example Sentences for honestly 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honestly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of honestly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near honestly

Cite this Entry

“Honestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honestly. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

honestly

adverb
hon·​est·​ly ˈän-əst-lē How to pronounce honestly (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on honestly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!