HONESTY Synonyms: 193 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'honesty' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of honesty are honor , integrity , and probity . While all these words mean "uprightness of character or action," honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way.

Q: When is 'honor' a more appropriate choice than 'honesty'?

While the synonyms honor and honesty are close in meaning, honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position.

Q: When would 'integrity' be a good substitute for 'honesty'?

The meanings of integrity and honesty largely overlap; however, integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge.

Q: When could 'probity' be used to replace 'honesty'?

While in some cases nearly identical to honesty , probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

honesty

noun

ˈä-nə-stē

Definition of honesty

as in integrity

devotion to telling the truth George Washington has gone down in history for his honesty

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as in morality

conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong he's known for his honesty in business dealings

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as in honor

faithfulness to high moral standards she knew she could count on her students' honesty, even if she left the classroom for a few moments during the test

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as in sincerity

the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions I am speaking with all honesty when I say that your apple pie is the best I've ever tasted

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun honesty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of honesty are honor, integrity, and probity. While all these words mean "uprightness of character or action," honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way.

When is honor a more appropriate choice than honesty?

While the synonyms honor and honesty are close in meaning, honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position.

When would integrity be a good substitute for honesty?

The meanings of integrity and honesty largely overlap; however, integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge.

When could probity be used to replace honesty?

While in some cases nearly identical to honesty, probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

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 honesty Niki faced adversity with honesty, integrity and unwavering courage. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 O’Leary knows the mindset all too well; the successful investor is known both for his brutal honesty and financial wins. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 The result is a book that, despite the searing and brutal honesty of its details, never becomes fully untethered from basic human tenderness. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong’s camera never intrudes, lending grace and honesty to the character studies, while Jung Jae-il’s ravishing piano and string score heightens the emotions without becoming manipulative. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for honesty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for honesty

Noun

And an agreement that at the same time recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.

— Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
The vote demonstrated that cryptocurrency regulation cannot be separated from questions of political integrity, institutional authority and public confidence.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of integrity

Noun

Four years ago this week, a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Jina Amini died after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s compulsory hijab rules.

— Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
In a climate which increasingly tells people in these farmers communities that those two values are not politically aligned, sustainable farmers of faith told me that Berry validated their own sense of morality.

— Sydney Giacalone, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of morality

Noun

At the University of Turin, Pavese wrote his thesis on Walt Whitman, which was initially rejected because of the evident influence of Croce and then passed, with honors, after Leone Ginzburg savvily intervened and found Pavese a new examiner.

— Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
The Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys earlier this year had awarded Zahnd the group’s highest honor for his years of service as a prosecutor.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of honor

Noun

Cox’s script, meanwhile, trades increasingly in one-size-fits-all therapy speak, and despite Qualley’s natural sincerity as a performer, Maya seems steadily less specific a personality as the years pass.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Like Warhol, Rouy makes work balancing on the razor’s edge between sincerity and cynicism.

— David Lê, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of sincerity

Noun

There is an emphatic truthfulness to the story and the performances that anchor it, which is both refreshing and innovative.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Some people thought the character was too much, but Danica managed to make her just that without losing the truthfulness, and the ending wouldn’t have worked without that.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026

Definition of truthfulness

Noun

But the assumption that happiness and virtue should be systematically balanced is implied in every moral critique.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Also, in producing more original films, which push the envelope on narrative or visuals, filmmakers are making a virtue out of a market necessity.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of virtue

Noun

The novel, published in 1988, foreshadowed the career to come by taking on, with disarming frankness, everything from child abuse to transracial adoption.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Horgan, whose Catastrophe charted the ups and downs of a relationship with painful, hilarious honesty, applies the same frankness to the minor indignities of midlife.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of frankness

Noun

Why Normal Risk Checks Miss These Choke Points Manufacturers have always judged suppliers on cost, quality, reliability and speed.

— Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 21 Sep. 2026
AlphaCore 800 joins Velocys’ fleet of reactors and promises more output per reactor without a drop in performance or reliability.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of reliability

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“Honesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honesty. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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