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

• actually
• admittedly
• forsooth
• frankly
• indeed
• really
• truly
• truthfully
• verily

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

For example, in the luxury category, some airlines are reconfiguring their cabins and their seats that more honestly reflect the real travel experience, with an emphasis not just on space, but on everything from color and lighting to fabrics and temperature. —Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

These are the people who, despairing of finding their way out honestly, simply smash and bash their way through the corn willy-nilly. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024

But honestly, that title is the last word Trump should be kicking around in public these days. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2024

There’s also balance, with sweeping, powerfully dynamic, and quite honestly brilliant group scenes layering World War II battlefields and the ballet studio or depicting the wavering hopefulness of wartime nurses and beleaguered soldiers awaiting the voyage home at the French port of Dunkirk. —Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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