adverb
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in an honest manner
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(intensifier)
I honestly don't believe it
interjection
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.
“I honestly don’t think I make a decision to do it. It’s more like it just happens to me.”
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
But I also know that if I told her honestly that I didn’t want to spend so much time together, she’d be hurt.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
“After 30 years as a band, I can honestly say that’s the best song we’ve ever done,” says Ian, the most voluble member.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
He adds: "The case has to be made honestly by political leaders who must really look the population in the eye and say 'this has got to be done for us to be secure'."
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
I honestly had thought she’d be so excited that I actually wanted to do a sim test that she’d jump on board immediately.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
