honest-to-goodness
Americanadjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of honest-to-goodness
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
It sells a slim control bar that magnetically snaps to the bottom of the screen, giving you honest-to-goodness physical buttons for music and climate control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
I was curious to hear from gay Catholics who are siding with Gomez and honest-to-goodness homophobes on an issue — drag — that’s such a big part of queer culture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2023
It is time to begin regarding the Miami Dolphins as honest-to-goodness Super Bowl contenders and their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, as a top league MVP candidate.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2022
Originally recorded back in 1993, "The Lost Album" delivers the goods in the form of a dozen honest-to-goodness, previously unheard original Smithereens recordings.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2022
To top it off, there were what looked to be pews shoved up against the wall, and the two windows had honest-to-goodness stained glass.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
