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

• 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

Levy, for his part, does seem honestly fascinated and a little cowed by spending time with William, but that humility feels just as weird. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025

Zulay’s handheld frother is honestly a steal for under $10. —Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025

With that being said, Clark spoke out in her end of season press conference and opened up honestly about Indiana and her future with the franchise. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025

So, the finale's last-ditch plot twist that few saw coming (or, honestly, asked for) was enough to place Asylum in the second spot on our list, though not without a good fight. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025

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