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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 And to be honest, that would have been Pat Mahomes’ second rushing touchdown called back in two plays (because of a penalty). — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026 Still, there were signs that figures on both sides of the aisle seemed ready to at least have an honest conversation. — Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026 Whether that’s always being upfront and honest or remembering people’s names. — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Here are my honest thoughts about what that experience was like. — Keith Laing, USA Today, 15 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
  • The editing skews toward older candidates, working parents and outspoken candidates, none of it visible before any check starts.
    — Houman Akhavan, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Over lunch at the Santa Clara Hilton — a short drive from 49ers headquarters — Edwards shared about the plights of outspoken athletes such as Wilma Rudolph, Jesse Owens, Rose Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Tommie Smith, John Carlos and more.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of outspoken
Adjective
  • While some might argue that Murphy is an antihero, Hawke viewed him as an honorable man.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • There are, of course, many honorable people who own businesses and choose to become politicians.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • Yet a critic who was also an artist, and furthermore the wife of an artist, presented an ethical problem.
    — Jarrett Earnest, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Ars Video The three researchers from Hacktron AI, a small security company, were paid $6,500 by OpenAI as part of a bug bounty program, a common practice where tech companies pay ethical hackers to test their security.
    — Cristina Criddle, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of ethical
Adjective
  • The team also needed to confirm that the unusual structures were genuine electron behavior rather than artifacts created by the microscope.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Alan Wake 2 was a genuine work of art and an incredible game to experience, having just published my first book.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of genuine
Adjective
  • The actress has also been candid about her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis — first diagnosed in 2010 but kept private until 2022 — and plans to keep sharing her journey.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Gaga has always been candid about her health issues, often using her platform to raise awareness and advocate for others with similar struggles.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of candid
Adjective
  • Almost 7% of Tarrant County kindergarteners had a conscientious exemption to at least one vaccine in the 2025-26 school year, up from 3% five years ago, according to state data.
    — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Fretting about the future is a favorite preoccupation of the conscientious.
    — Joe Fassler, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of conscientious
Adjective
  • Those familiar with Rådström’s leadership style describe her as authentic, strategic, and inclusive.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The study found that improvement projects, clear signage, bold and unique design and authentic local food and beverage brands, balanced with nationally familiar brands, have increased the scores of airports that implement them.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of authentic
Adjective
  • At a time when social media and 24-hour news cycles distort our understanding of war and conflict, and when AI is flooding the internet with fake images and stories, there is a desperate need for truthful accounts.
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The report asserts flatly that Zucker wasn’t truthful and danced around the same accusation regarding Ballmer.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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