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 of honestly

• frankly
• actually
• really
• indeed

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

Holloway doesn't have as much to lose in this fight, quite honestly. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

But honestly, that $250 off (in this economy) is hard to beat. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026

There should honestly be a sequel parody of Twister where the storm chasers use tornados to cover up their kills. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

But, even with this major shortcoming, my home still felt much cleaner, smelled fresher, and honestly felt even a tad bit more peaceful at the end of the day. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for honestly

• dishonestly

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