honest

[on-ist] / ˈɒn ɪst /

ADJECTIVE

truthful, candid

Synonyms

STRONGEST

authentic conscientious decent equitable fair forthright genuine honorable impartial proper reliable sincere straightforward true trustworthy virtuous

WEAK

aboveboard bona fide direct ethical fair and square frank high-minded ingenuous just law-abiding lay it on the line like it is no lie on the level on the up and up open outright plain real reputable scrupulous straight true blue trusty undisguised unfeigned upfront upright veracious what you see is what you get

Antonyms

STRONGEST

biased corrupt counterfeit deceitful deceptive devious dishonest false insincere irresponsible partial prejudiced unfair unjust unreal unreasonable unreliable unsuitable untrustworthy

WEAK

fraudulent lying misleading treacherous untruthful

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.

So every moment is a moment of gratitude and humility, to be honest.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

“It makes me a little bit sad, to be honest, that there isn’t a better way of getting these long-suffering fans in at a more reasonable rate,” Fong said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Though Ecclestone and England are cautious of looking too far ahead, she is very honest about how much it would mean to win the trophy after such a difficult time.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The product they built — Claude, where values are made explicit, debatable and revisable — is a direct expression of a team that decided honest disagreement was non-negotiable.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

“Good, honest labor,” Lady Constance said approvingly as she gazed into her vanity mirror.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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