Definitions

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.

Both seasons of the show demonstrate that only the wealthy can afford to indulge in extreme emotional displays or cheapen honest ones.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

“To be quite honest, we were not forecasting that this ETF would essentially be in rarefied air within 10 days,” said Dave Mazza, chief executive of boutique asset manager Roundhill Investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

"I didn't expect it to blow up the way that it did if I'm being honest," Jordan admitted.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

“We need more voices — feminist perspectives, stories from marginalized communities, an honest reckoning with colorism and the hierarchies embedded in South Asian culture,” Singh said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

We hang out late watching some movie from when Mom and Dad were younger that they swear is “so great,” but was a little slow, to be honest.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Vocabulary lists containing honest

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