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

Carnaval snake charmer turned opera performer Ziegfeld came to the role honestly. — David R. Martin, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

And honestly, what a relief — the secondhand embarrassment from his rejection earlier in the season was too much to bear. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026

These are all valid concerns and should be answered honestly and not dismissed. — Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026

Reporters need to answer their editors honestly and immediately. — Mike Semel, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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