honest

adjective

ˈä-nəst How to pronounce honest (audio)
Definition of honestnext
1
as in truthful
being in the habit of telling the truth at least the weatherman is honest and doesn't pretend to be able to predict the unpredictable

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2
as in honorable
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue an area populated by honest and industrious farm folk

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3
as in ethical
following the accepted rules of moral conduct an honest customer who doesn't hesitate to tell the cashier she's given him too much change

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4
as in genuine
free from any intent to deceive or impress others the sort of person who helps others from an honest desire to do good

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5
as in candid
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions appreciate your honest friends, who tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear

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6
as in conscientious
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong made an honest attempt to return the money she had found in the cafeteria

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7
as in authentic
being exactly as appears or as claimed a restaurant serving honest down-home Southern cooking

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective honest differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of honest are conscientious, honorable, just, scrupulous, and upright. While all these words mean "having or showing a strict regard for what is morally right," honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candor, or fairness.

known for being honest in business dealings

How do conscientious and scrupulous relate to one another, in the sense of honest?

Both conscientious and scrupulous imply an active moral sense governing all one's actions and painstaking efforts to follow one's conscience.

conscientious in the completion of her assignments
scrupulous in carrying out the terms of the will

When would honorable be a good substitute for honest?

The meanings of honorable and honest largely overlap; however, honorable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behavior and the guidance of a high sense of honor and duty.

a difficult but honorable decision

Where would just be a reasonable alternative to honest?

While the synonyms just and honest are close in meaning, just stresses conscious choice and regular practice of what is right or equitable.

workers given just compensation

When might upright be a better fit than honest?

The words upright and honest can be used in similar contexts, but upright implies a strict adherence to moral principles.

a stern and upright minister

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of honest Sandra Bullock's brutally honest daughter is all for her mother dating again. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 My job was to tell this story in an honest and entertaining way. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 Let’s be honest, some of us aren’t even totally sure how to use ours properly. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026 Write down the target and the baseline now, while expectations are still honest. — Brian Harmison, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for honest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honest
  1. outspoken
  2. honorable
  3. ethical
  4. genuine
  5. candid
  6. conscientious
  7. authentic
  8. truthful
Adjective
  • Engelbert has faced criticism from players for her overall leadership style, specifically from players who were outspoken about her lack of personal connection with them.
    — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Americans, Trump at odds over data centers Lawmakers across the country, and on both sides of the political aisle, have become more outspoken against data centers as the national opinion shifts ahead of November's midterm elections.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of outspoken
Adjective
  • The group meets monthly and is open to those with honorable, general and other-than-honorable discharges.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026
  • All persons having business before this honorable court are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the court is now sitting.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • In neither case, by today's standards, were the operations fair or ethical on a number of fronts.
    — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • As these tasks fell outside the scope of the employees' official duties, the directive amounted to a violation of ethical standards, the report concluded.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of ethical
Adjective
  • With what seems like little embellishment to real locations (including a genuine culture of female-only caddies sporting bright colors), the movie captures a languid, top-down strangeness.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The aesthetic lineage Wingard invokes relied on the genuine nastiness of works like Faster, Pussycat!
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of genuine
Adjective
  • Agencies need to create opportunities for junior team members to observe client conversations, defend ideas, receive candid feedback and solve real business problems.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Muhl opened up about the family milestone in an Instagram post of her own, which featured several candid shots of the couple spending time with baby Aurelius.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of candid
Adjective
  • This focus on elevated yet conscientious materials is reflected in designers’ latest choices.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Less so is the fact that more vulnerabilities are being discovered by bounty hunters assisted by AI tools, leaving Google fighting a battle to patch them before less conscientious hackers find them and put them to criminal use.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of conscientious
Adjective
  • Small strategic changes—from strengthening the opening hook to featuring more authentic voices or making the next step clearer—can have a meaningful impact on whether viewers actually take action.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Creators that have authentic connections to sports and other lifestyle verticals are invaluable to marketers.
    — William Earl, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of authentic
Adjective
  • The letter raises questions about how truthful Kennedy was in testimony before Congress.
    — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson’s review of his starting quarterback is truthful and to the point.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of truthful

Phrases Containing honest

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hones in (on)
honest
honest broker
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Cite this Entry

“Honest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honest. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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