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

Probably most things, honestly. —Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026

Each name carries weight, and honestly, there’s no wrong answer here. —Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026

With white sand and emerald water, there’s honestly not much else required for an excellent beach vacation, but the destination overdelivers with a long list of attractions, great restaurants, and beautiful stays. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026

That’s exactly what happened to Niall Horan at the 2015 Masters Par-3 Contest — and honestly, the clip holds up beautifully. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 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