honestly

honestly — adverb

1. to speak or act without lying, cheating, or hiding the truth, so that others can

1.adverbB1
Definition

to speak or act without lying, cheating, or hiding the truth, so that others can trust what you say or do.

Example

The accountant answered all the auditor's questions about the budget honestly.

manner adverb: answer + honestly

Xiu told her parents honestly that she had broken the vase by accident.

Common collocations
  • speak honestly
  • answer honestly
  • deal honestly with
  • honestly believe
  • honestly say
  • act honestly
Synonyms
  • truthfully

    More specific to speech and statements; 'honestly' also covers actions and behaviour.

  • fairly

    Emphasises justice and equal treatment rather than truthfulness.

  • openly

    Focuses on hiding nothing; 'honestly' adds a moral dimension of not deceiving.

  • candidly

    More formal; suggests speaking without hiding feelings or opinions, while 'honestly' is broader.

Antonyms
  • dishonestly

    Direct opposite; acting with deceit or fraud.

  • deceitfully

    Emphasises intentional misleading, stronger negative connotation.

Grammar Patterns

verb + honestly (post-verbal)

honestly + verb (pre-verbal emphasis)

honestly + about + noun phrase

Usage Note

The most common position is after the verb it modifies (e.g. 'speak honestly', 'act honestly'). Placing 'honestly' before the verb adds emphasis to the speaker's sincerity.

Common Mistakes

The student answered honestly to the teacher when he said he didn't know.
The student told the teacher honestly that he didn't know.
'Answer honestly' is usually followed directly by a question or a that-clause, not by 'to + person'.
He didn't speak honestly at dinner last night.' (meaning he was quiet).
He didn't speak honestly during the meeting
he hid some important facts.' — 'Did not speak honestly' means the person lied or was misleading, not that they were silent.

2. said when you feel strongly that something someone has said or done is wrong, un

2.adverbB2
Definition

said when you feel strongly that something someone has said or done is wrong, unfair, or annoying, and you want to express your frustration directly.

Example

Honestly, Rachel, do you have to leave your dirty dishes in the sink every single day?

sentence adverb + name: expressing frustration about repeated behaviour

Honestly, I cannot believe the boss expects us to finish this project by Friday.

Synonyms
  • seriously

    Similar frustration marker but can also express disbelief without annoyance.

  • for goodness' sake

    Stronger, more emotional; less common in everyday speech.

  • come on

    More conversational; can express impatience with a situation rather than a person.

Grammar Patterns

Honestly, + [clause expressing frustration]

Honestly, + [question expressing disbelief]

Usage Note

Almost always begins the sentence or clause, followed by a comma. Strongly associated with spoken or informal written English (messages, social media). Using this sense in formal writing may sound rude or impatient.

Common Mistakes

Honestly, I really appreciate your help with this.' (intended as sincere thanks).
I honestly appreciate all your help with this.
Sentence-initial 'Honestly' followed by appreciation sounds contradictory because sense 2 signals annoyance. Use 'I honestly...' (sense 3) instead.
Honestly, I think your idea is interesting.' (neutral statement).
Honestly, your idea makes no sense at all.
Sense 2 pairs with strong negative reactions; mixing it with mild or positive content confuses the listener.

3. said to insist that you are telling the truth, especially when your statement mi

3.adverbB2
Definition

said to insist that you are telling the truth, especially when your statement might be surprising, difficult to believe, or contrary to what others think.

Example

Honestly, Kabir did not mean to upset anyone with his comment about the proposal.

sentence adverb: assuring sincerity about someone else's intentions

I honestly thought the exam would be much harder than it actually was.

pattern: I honestly thought + that-clause

Common collocations
  • honestly think
  • honestly believe
  • honestly thought
  • honestly expected
  • honestly had no idea
Synonyms
  • truthfully

    More direct; implies telling facts rather than expressing a sincere feeling.

  • frankly

    Focuses on being open and direct, sometimes blunt; 'honestly' adds warmth.

  • seriously

    More informal; often used as a single-word exclamation ('Seriously?') whereas 'honestly' works as a sentence adverb.

  • genuinely

    Emphasises that a feeling or belief is real and not pretended; close to 'honestly' in sincerity contexts.

Grammar Patterns

Honestly, + [statement]

I honestly + [verb of thinking or feeling]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: both can start a sentence, but sense 3 asserts truthfulness (often with a surprising or contrary statement), while sense 2 expresses disapproval. When placed before a verb of thinking ('honestly thought', 'honestly believed'), this sense is unambiguous.

Common Mistakes

Honestly, I can't believe you forgot my birthday again.' (angry).
I honestly didn't think you would forget my birthday.
The first expresses annoyance (sense 2), not sincerity. Use 'I honestly didn't think...' (sense 3) when you mean to say your belief was genuine.
Honestly, your presentation was amazing — I'm being serious.
I honestly think your presentation was amazing.
Placing 'honestly' at the start of a compliment can sound like sense 2 (annoyance/sarcasm). Using 'I honestly think...' keeps the meaning clear.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/3

These five adverbs all convey sincerity, but they differ in tone and context. 'Honestly' (sense 3) is the most versatile — it can preface a surprising fact ('Honestly, I had no idea'), assert genuine belief ('I honestly think...'), or reassure the listener. 'Frankly' carries a blunter edge, often introducing an opinion the listener might not like ('Frankly, your work needs improvement'). 'Truthfully' is more factual, implying that what follows is an accurate account of events rather than a subjective feeling. 'Seriously' is the most casual and can stand alone as an exclamation ('Seriously?'), while 'genuinely' focuses on the authenticity of a feeling or intention ('I genuinely appreciate it'). For learners, 'honestly' is the safest choice across formal and informal settings. For example: 'Honestly, I didn't recognise you in that suit' (natural surprise) vs 'Frankly, that suit doesn't fit you well' (potentially hurtful directness).

honestly ↗frankly ↗truthfullyseriously ↗genuinely ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • quite honestly
  • very honestly
  • completely honestly
  • perfectly honestly

Phrases

  • quite honestly
  • to be perfectly honest
  • honestly speaking

Prepositions

  • honestly about [something]

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'honestly' traces back to the Latin noun 'honor' (meaning 'honour, esteem, reputation'), which evolved in Old French into 'honeste' (respectable, decent) and entered Middle English as 'honest' in the 1300s. The suffix '-ly' was added to form the adverb, first appearing in the 1300s with the meaning 'in a manner that earns respect'. Over time the moral sense of 'truthful and fair' became dominant. The sentence-adverb uses — expressing annoyance (sense 2) and emphasising sincerity (sense 3) — emerged in the 1700s and 1800s as the word was increasingly used in conversational English to frame the speaker's attitude toward their own statement.