sincere

sincere — adjective

1. A sincere person, feeling, or statement honestly reveals what someone truly thin

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

A sincere person, feeling, or statement honestly reveals what someone truly thinks or believes, without deception or pretending.

Example

Pim gave a sincere apology to his neighbour after breaking the fence.

sincere + apology / thanks / praise — common noun collocations

Adina sent a sincere note of thanks to the moving team after the job.

Common collocations
  • sincere apology
  • sincere thanks
  • sincere praise
  • sincere offer
  • sincere hope
  • sincere belief
  • sincere effort
Synonyms
  • honest

    Broader term; more about truthfulness and not deceiving, while 'sincere' emphasises genuine feeling in personal expression

  • genuine

    Very close in meaning; 'sincere' focuses on the person's honest intention, while 'genuine' focuses on the realness of the feeling itself

  • heartfelt

    Stronger emotional tone; used specifically with feelings, wishes, or condolences rather than general character

  • earnest

    Implies seriousness and strong conviction; sometimes suggests a lack of humour, which 'sincere' does not carry

Antonyms
  • insincere

    Direct opposite; means pretending to feel something you do not actually feel

  • dishonest

    Broader opposite; involves lying or deceiving, but not always about feelings

Grammar Patterns

sincere + noun

be sincere

sincere about + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Often used with nouns that express feelings or communication — such as apology, thanks, praise, offer, promise, or hope. The adverb 'sincerely' appears as a standard letter closing in formal English ('Yours sincerely').

Common Mistakes

She gave an honest apology for arriving late.
She gave a sincere apology for arriving late.
'Honest' focuses on truthfulness about facts; 'sincere' focuses on genuine regret or feeling.
I am sincere with helping the team.
I am sincere about helping the team.
After 'sincere', use the preposition 'about', not 'with', to indicate the subject of the sincerity.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe someone who is not deceiving others, but they differ in emphasis. 'Honest' is the broadest — it focuses on truthfulness regarding facts and actions (an honest answer, honest work). 'Genuine' and 'sincere' overlap significantly, but 'genuine' points to the authenticity of the feeling itself (a genuine smile), while 'sincere' points to the person's intention to express their true feeling. 'Heartfelt' is narrower and more intense — it is reserved for deeply felt emotions such as gratitude, sympathy, or regret (heartfelt condolences). 'Earnest' implies seriousness and even eagerness, sometimes in a way that lacks lightness or humour (an earnest request for reform). For example, a candidate's speech can be both sincere and earnest, but only 'sincere' would naturally describe a quick, honest compliment.

honest ↗genuine ↗heartfeltearnest ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • completely sincere
  • perfectly sincere
  • truly sincere
  • deeply sincere
  • quite sincere

Phrases

Prepositions

  • sincere about
  • sincere in

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'sincere' comes from Latin 'sincerus', meaning 'clean, pure, sound, and genuine'. It entered English in the 1500s, first used for things that were pure or unmixed, and later developed the modern meaning of honest and genuine in feeling or expression.