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

To gain it, there must be a massive, nonpartisan educational effort that presents the facts clearly and honestly. —Les Rubin, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025

Jury service also widens the circle of people invested in courts that work and that operate honestly. —Richard Lorren Jolly, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025

Task is especially generous with its children and teens, allowing their faces to take up the frame, as Ruffalo’s and Pelphrey’s do, and their yearnings and fears to be voiced honestly and sincerely, as Tom’s and Robbie’s are. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

Its elegance is evident right off the bat, and I was equally mesmerized by that luscious floral print and the silk it’s made of (which honestly felt like lotion on my skin). —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 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