honestly

comparative more honestly · superlative most honestly

1. mannerIn an honest manner.

   He answered the questions honestly.

   3 more examples

   You honestly quit your tools; quit a most muddy confused coil of sore work, short rations, of sorrows, dispiritments and contradictions, having now honestly done with it all; — and await, not entirely in a distracted manner, what the Supreme Powers, and the Silences and the Eternities may have to say to you.

   1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter XIII, Democracy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker)

   I can't honestly say that I feel any elatement at the prospect.

   1896, Elsa d'Esterre Keeling, Old Maids and Young, volume 1, page 220

   Nevertheless, you must know (if I am to speak honestly to you) that I do not repent me those dallyings in enchanted fields.

   1902, J. M. Barrie, The Little White Bird

   Synonyms: candidly, sincerely, truthfully · Antonyms: dishonestly

2. sentence adverbFrankly, to be honest.

   Honestly, I didn't believe a word she said.

   1 more example

   Under a popular Instagram post rounding up some of the most amusing memes generated from her BAFTAs performance, the actress commented on Monday, “Honestly I love this.”

   2023 February 21, Dan Heching, “Ariana DeBose ‘honestly loves’ the BAFTA memes but not the Twitter trolling”, in CNN, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2023

   Synonyms: as a matter of fact, in all honesty, in point of fact, in truth, above a bit, actually, all things considered, as a matter of fact

3. informalsentence adverbExpresses mild surprise or hesitation about one's own conclusion.

   Alright, can I play, like, here at least? Maybe ENTIA?, I guess ENTIA. Or INIA?, maybe just INIA honestly, for 29. I think that's better than ENTIA here, the T seems pretty valuable, I really want to try to bingo.

   2025 July 4, Mack Meller, 8:53 from the start, in Clabbers Clash #7: IIICanteven

1. Used to express exasperation, dismay, etc.

   Honestly! I want to finish this work and you keep interrupting.

   Synonyms: really