honest-to-goodness
adjective
chiefly US, informal
: not fake, false, or artificial : real
He is an honest-to-goodness legend.
an honest-to-goodness movie star
Examples of honest-to-goodness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So what happens when an actual, bona fide, honest-to-goodness disaster is unfolding in real life instead?
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
In spring, Waukegan’s ravines are filled with flowing water and after recent heavy rains a swollen Waukegan River looks, well, like an honest-to-goodness river.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
The show hadn’t yet really showcased any real, honest-to-goodness rock.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Inside the cabin, all of the haptic buttons on the steering wheel—including the all-important start button—have been replaced by real, tactile, honest-to-goodness physical buttons.
—Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 1 July 2025
Unfiltered, honest-to-goodness feedback directly from customers; the good, the bad and the ugly.
—Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
And for a fan base conditioned to expect average, a bit of honest-to-goodness early-season success could go a long way at the ballpark on the bay.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
So, cyanobacteria were evolving multicellularity with honest-to-goodness development and cell differentiation around 3 billion years ago.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
Actual honest-to-goodness electrical power, the stuff of Edison and Tesla that drives microphones, lighting and the internet.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
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Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
In spring, Waukegan’s ravines are filled with flowing water and after recent heavy rains a swollen Waukegan River looks, well, like an honest-to-goodness river.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
The show hadn’t yet really showcased any real, honest-to-goodness rock.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Inside the cabin, all of the haptic buttons on the steering wheel—including the all-important start button—have been replaced by real, tactile, honest-to-goodness physical buttons.
—Jonny Lieberman, Robb Report, 1 July 2025
Unfiltered, honest-to-goodness feedback directly from customers; the good, the bad and the ugly.
—Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
And for a fan base conditioned to expect average, a bit of honest-to-goodness early-season success could go a long way at the ballpark on the bay.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
So, cyanobacteria were evolving multicellularity with honest-to-goodness development and cell differentiation around 3 billion years ago.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
Actual honest-to-goodness electrical power, the stuff of Edison and Tesla that drives microphones, lighting and the internet.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Honest-to-goodness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honest-to-goodness. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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