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

This is a major milestone for us, but honestly, that happened completely naturally and organically. — Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

My ultimate goal at the end of the day is, honestly, uniting people. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

The higher-end Sprout Pi also supports streaming via Spotify and Apple Music, plus apps, which, honestly, kind of misses the point. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026

The program leader spoke honestly about the work and the difference philanthropic support could make. — Karen Cochran, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 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