honest

¹hon·est

adjective \ˈä-nəst\

Definition of HONEST

1

a : free from fraud or deception : legitimate, truthful <an honest plea>

b : genuine, real <making honest stops at stop signs — Christian Science Monitor>

c : humble, plain <good honest food>

2

a : reputable, respectable <honest decent people>

b chiefly British : good, worthy

3

: creditable, praiseworthy <an honest day's work>

4

a : marked by integrity

b : marked by free, forthright, and sincere expression : frank <an honest appraisal>

c : innocent, simple

Examples of HONEST

1. He says that it's impossible to find an honest politician.
2. These criminals pose a danger to honest citizens.
3. He has an honest face.
4. Just give me an honest answer.
5. If you want my honest opinion, you should get a job.
6. To be perfectly honest, I don't want to go.
7. He gave us a painfully honest account of his childhood.
8. It was an honest error.
9. He still goes to the office every morning and puts in an honest day's work.

Origin of HONEST

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin honestus honorable, from honos, honor honor

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to HONEST

Synonyms

truthful, veracious

Antonyms

dishonest, fibbing, lying, mendacious, prevaricating, untruthful

Related Words

candid, direct, forthcoming, forthright, foursquare, frank, freehearted, free-spoken, open, openhearted, out-front, outspoken, plain, plainspoken; believable, credible, true, veritable; artless, earnest, genuine, guileless, unaffected, unpretending, unpretentious; conscientious, moral, principled, scrupulous; aboveboard, dependable, reliable, trustable, trustworthy, trusty

Near Antonyms

fallacious, false, untrue; unbelievable, undependable, unreliable, unscrupulous, untrustworthy; bluffing, dissembling, dissimulating, duplicitous, equivocating, hypocritical, insincere, posing, pretending; artful, deceitful, deceptive, devious, evasive, slick, slippery, sly, sneaky, treacherous, tricky, underhanded, wily

See Synonym Discussion at upright

²honest

adverb

Definition of HONEST

1

: in an honest manner : honestly <I have ever found thee honest true — Shakespeare>

2

: with all sincerity <I didn't do it, honest>

First Known Use of HONEST

1596