honest
/ˈɒnɪst/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːnɪst/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈä-nəst/ (ame, mw)
honest — adjective
- honestpositive
- more honestcomparative
- most honestsuperlative
1. describes a person who always tells the truth and does not steal, cheat, or dece
describes a person who always tells the truth and does not steal, cheat, or deceive other people.
The mechanic gave Liam an honest estimate for the car repairs.
honest + estimate / quote — trustworthy business interaction
Aunt Rosa has always been an honest person who never tells lies.
describes a person's character trait
Ava trusted her honest accountant to file the taxes correctly every year.
Quan promised to be honest with his parents about his grades.
The shopkeeper was known for being honest with all her customers.
- truthful
focuses specifically on telling the truth in speech, while 'honest' is broader, covering character and actions
- trustworthy
emphasises reliability and dependability rather than truthfulness per se
- upright
more formal; suggests strong moral principles in addition to truthfulness
文法句型
honest + with + person
honest + about + subject
常見錯誤
❌ 'He made an honest mistake, so we forgave him.' (This is acceptable usage, but 'honest mistake' means an unintentional error, not a 'truthful' mistake.)
2. describes a statement, opinion, or expression that is open and direct, showing w
describes a statement, opinion, or expression that is open and direct, showing what a person really thinks or feels without hiding anything.
Mauricio gave an honest opinion about the design, though it was not what we wanted.
honest opinion — direct and open, even if unwelcome
Élise was completely honest with me about her plans to leave the company.
honest with + person + about + topic
I need an honest answer — do you think this plan will work?
The Watanabe family appreciated Eshe's honest feedback on their proposal.
Dr. Okafor gave the patient an honest assessment of his recovery time.
文法句型
honest + about + topic
honest + with + person
honest + opinion/answer/feedback
用法筆記
This sense is commonly used with nouns that describe speech or judgment, such as 'opinion', 'answer', 'feedback', 'assessment'. Unlike sense 1 (TRUTHFUL), it does not describe a person's general character — it describes the quality of what is said.
常見錯誤
honest — adverb
1. in a way that is truthful and does not involve cheating, lying, or stealing.
in a way that is truthful and does not involve cheating, lying, or stealing.
Ziad answered all the questions honestly during the job interview.
manner adverb: answered honestly
The company has always dealt honestly with its business partners.
dealt honestly — business collocation
Vikram honestly reported the mistake to his line manager.
Sivan earned every cent honestly by working at the local bakery.
- truthfully
focuses on factual accuracy in what is said, while 'honestly' can also refer to the manner of earning or dealing
- fairly
emphasises justice and equal treatment rather than truthfulness
- lawfully
narrower — specifically about not breaking the law
- dishonestly
the direct opposite — in a way that involves cheating, lying, or stealing
文法句型
verb + honestly
2. used to emphasize that what you are saying is your true opinion or genuine feeli
used to emphasize that what you are saying is your true opinion or genuine feeling, especially when the statement might be surprising or unwelcome.
I honestly do not know where Eric went after the party.
honestly + negative verb — common pattern: 'I honestly don't know'
Honestly, I think we should move to a smaller apartment before the rent goes up.
sentence adverb: Honestly, + clause — signals frankness
Niran honestly believed that the treatment would help his knee heal faster.
Honestly speaking, the concert was not as good as Mark had expected.
Cyrus told me honestly that he did not agree with the committee's decision.
- frankly
very similar, but 'frankly' leans more toward bluntness; 'honestly' feels more personal
- truthfully
can be used similarly as a sentence adverb, though less common in this pattern
- to be honest
a full discourse-marker phrase with the same function
文法句型
honestly + verb
Honestly, + clause
honestly speaking
用法筆記
When used as a sentence adverb (e.g., 'Honestly, I don't care' or 'Honestly, this has gone on long enough'), it signals that the speaker is being candid, often before a statement that might be unwelcome or surprising. This is the most common use of 'honestly' in everyday conversation. Do not confuse this with the manner-adverb sense (IN AN HONEST WAY), which modifies the verb rather than the whole sentence.