honest

adjective

hon·est | \ ˈä-nəst

Definition of honest

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : free from fraud or deception : legitimate, truthful an honest plea an honest presentation of facts

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

c : humble, plain good honest food

2a : reputable, respectable honest decent people

b chiefly British : good, worthy an honest fellow

3 : worthy of praise an honest day's work put forth an honest effort

4a : marked by integrity honest merchants

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

c : direct and uncomplicated : innocent, simple some good honest sleep

honest

adverb

Definition of honest (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : in a genuine or honest (see honest entry 1) manner : honestly I have ever found thee honest true— William Shakespeare

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

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about honest

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Synonyms & Antonyms for honest

Synonyms: Adjective

truthful, veracious

Antonyms: Adjective

dishonest, fibbing, lying, mendacious, prevaricating, untruthful

Choose the Right Synonym for honest

Adjective

upright, honest, just, conscientious, scrupulous, honorable mean having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right. upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles. a stern and upright minister honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness. known for being honest in business dealings just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable. workers given just compensation conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience. conscientious in the completion of her assignments scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty. a difficult but honorable decision

Examples of honest in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Let’s be honest: getting broken up with is the worst feeling in the world. — Marilyn La Jeunesse, Teen Vogue, "Making Your Ex Jealous Isn't Healthy," 25 Dec. 2018 On the reaction to Black Panther that surprised him most: To be honest, the whole sexualization of the M'Baku was surprising. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Black Panther Breakout Winston Duke Is Ready to Reset Hollywood," 4 Dec. 2018 WhatsApp — best friend, sociable, fun, brings people together, straightforward, honest, reliable, faithful, discrete, nimble, agile, dynamic, current. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Stop calling Facebook’s effort to fix itself an “arms race”," 14 Sep. 2018 Instead, players are expected to to display honest, fair judgment in regards to rule-following and calling foul plays. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Ultimate Frisbee is likely to fly into the 2024 or 2028 Olympic Games. You can see the world's top players here in Greater Cincinnati," 12 July 2018 He's presented owner Mike Ashley with a simple, and honest, ultimatum. — SI.com, "Mike Ashley Must Be Proactive if He Wants Rafa Benitez to Sign a New Contract at Newcastle," 11 July 2018 And Hanyok masters the role of the slowly blossoming outsider Dory, timid at first but eventually as honest, funny and fearless as the others. — Mitchel Benson, sacbee, "‘Ladies Foursome’ maintains remarkable chemistry in return to B Street Theatre," 10 July 2018 The balance between the serious and comedic always seems true and honest, given the setting. — Julie Meister, The Christian Science Monitor, "What are you watching? Readers choose their favorite sitcoms," 6 July 2018 Appreciate your professionalism, approach and the hard work and preparation that produced honest, filled with high integrity and entertaining content. — Rob Tornoe, Philly.com, "Molly Sullivan in shock after losing NBC Sports Philadelphia job: 'I'm hurt. I'm crestfallen'," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'honest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.