honestly
adverb
hon·est·ly
ˈä-nəst-lē 
Synonyms
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
And while there are so many good deals (honestly too many to count), be sure to check out these top ones that are perfect to refresh your travel wardrobe or to gift.
—
Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2023
That’s honestly the hardest part, especially in Los Angeles, getting people to physically show up.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
In this off-screen role, Coolidge appears in campaigns for the brand, the most recent being a date night sketch where Coolidge fawns over her Dirty Pillows Lip Kit instead of her dinner date (honestly, same).
—Allure, 21 Nov. 2023
Anything, honestly, other than a television rehash of The Queen, sticking poor Imelda Staunton with the responsibility of mimicking not only the actual Queen Elizabeth but also Helen Mirren’s Oscar-winning performance.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
The most intimidating aspect, honestly, was having to have Michael Fassbender as a screen partner.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
That part honestly is a little scary, because these albums don’t come along very often.
—Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 16 Nov. 2023
Which, honestly, was kind of the top of the mountain for me.
—Waiss Aramesh, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023
The actor, writer, and model attended the 2023 Glamour Woman of the Year Awards in a high-up style that honestly has me at a loss for words.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Nov. 2023
See More
Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2023
That’s honestly the hardest part, especially in Los Angeles, getting people to physically show up.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
In this off-screen role, Coolidge appears in campaigns for the brand, the most recent being a date night sketch where Coolidge fawns over her Dirty Pillows Lip Kit instead of her dinner date (honestly, same).
—Allure, 21 Nov. 2023
Anything, honestly, other than a television rehash of The Queen, sticking poor Imelda Staunton with the responsibility of mimicking not only the actual Queen Elizabeth but also Helen Mirren’s Oscar-winning performance.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
The most intimidating aspect, honestly, was having to have Michael Fassbender as a screen partner.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
That part honestly is a little scary, because these albums don’t come along very often.
—Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 16 Nov. 2023
Which, honestly, was kind of the top of the mountain for me.
—Waiss Aramesh, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023
The actor, writer, and model attended the 2023 Glamour Woman of the Year Awards in a high-up style that honestly has me at a loss for words.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'honestly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of honestly was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near honestly
Cite this Entry
“Honestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honestly. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
honestly
adverb
hon·est·ly
ˈän-əst-lē
More from Merriam-Webster on honestly
Britannica English: Translation of honestly for Arabic Speakers
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