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

Yet the fundamentals of crisis leadership remain consistent: make decisions quickly, communicate honestly, protect people, limit damage and chart a path back to stability. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

But honestly, that kind of self-confidence is on brand for the intergalactic motorcycle-riding bounty hunter. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025

But honestly, all of the options on this list became staples in our kitchens. —Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 20 Mar. 2025

And that’s not even a factor, honestly, to me personally. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025

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