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
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Inside the cabin, all of the haptic buttons on the steering wheel—including the all-important start button—have been replaced by real, tactile, honest-to-goodness physical buttons.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
So what happens when an actual, bona fide, honest-to-goodness disaster is unfolding in real life instead?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 July 2024
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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Inside the cabin, all of the haptic buttons on the steering wheel—including the all-important start button—have been replaced by real, tactile, honest-to-goodness physical buttons.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
So what happens when an actual, bona fide, honest-to-goodness disaster is unfolding in real life instead?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Honest-to-goodness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honest-to-goodness. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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