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 of honestly

• 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

But honestly, each loss hurt for a completely different reason. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026

This is another case where the $1,791 monthlies cover little besides your taxes, which, honestly, is not so bad a deal. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 2 Nov. 2026

Anker and its family of gadget brands have started the holiday party early, and honestly, there’s a lot to get excited about. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

The bills tackle a growing threat to the industry, as several states have proposed or passed laws that require manufacturers to more honestly acknowledge the challenges of recycling plastic. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 29 Oct. 2026

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