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Showing results for honestly. Search instead for Honestli.
Synonyms

honestly

American  
[on-ist-lee] / ˈɒn ɪst li /

adverb

  1. in an honest, truthful, or sincere manner.

    Parents are encouraged to speak honestly with their kids about drugs and alcohol.

  2. actually; truly.

    She was honestly surprised that he’d remembered their anniversary at all.

interjection

  1. (used to express mild exasperation, disbelief, dismay, etc.).

    Honestly! I want to finish this work, and you keep interrupting.
honestly British  
/ ˈɒnɪstlɪ /

adverb

  1. in an honest manner

  2. (intensifier)

    I honestly don't believe it
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. an expression of disgust, surprise, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of honestly

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English honestli(che) “honorably, respectably; respectfully; fittingly, properly”; see origin at honest, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But pro-Soviet intellectuals ostracized him when he dared to speak honestly about life behind the Iron Curtain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

“This all comes right after the reservation system was lifted … and honestly, it showed,” she added.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

“Heated Rivalry” hottie, Connor Storrie, wore an outfit that looked straight off the rack at your local H&M, but honestly, who cares?

From Salon • May 5, 2026

She said she had been pushing past her limits "running on empty, and my body finally said enough. It honestly scared me."

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“You honestly think that would be enough to keep her loyalty if someone else offered so much as a shaba more?”

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.