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definitions

honest

[ on-ist ]
/ ˈɒn ɪst /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR honest ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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RELATED WORDS

virtuous, genuine, straightforward, fair, impartial, decent, sincere, trustworthy, authentic, equitable, conscientious, proper, honorable, reliable, forthright, true, direct, ethical, frank, high-minded

Nearby words

  1. honecker,
  2. honecker, erich,
  3. honegger,
  4. honegger, arthur,
  5. honer,
  6. honest broker,
  7. honest injun,
  8. honest john,
  9. honest to god,
  10. honest-to-goodness

Origin of honest

1250–1300; Middle English honeste < Middle French < Latin honestus honorable, equivalent to hones- (variant stem of honōs) honor + -tus adj. suffix
ANTONYMS FOR honest
1. dishonest, corrupt.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR honest ON THESAURUS.COM
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for honest

British Dictionary definitions for honest

honest

/ (ˈɒnɪst) /

adjective

Derived Formshonestness, noun

Word Origin for honest

C13: from Old French honeste, from Latin honestus distinguished, from honōs honour
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
Word Origin and History for honest

honest

adj.

c.1300, "respectable, decent, of neat appearance," also "free from fraud," from Old French honeste (12c.; Modern French honnête), from Latin honestus "honorable, respected, regarded with honor," figuratively "deserving honor, honorable, respectable," from honos (see honor (n.)). Main modern sense of "dealing fairly, truthful" is c.1400, as is sense of "virtuous." Phrase to make an honest woman of "marry a woman after seduction" is from 1620s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with honest

honest

In addition to the idioms beginning with honest

  • honest to God

also see:

  • come by (honestly)
  • open (honest) and aboveboard
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.