honest
/ˈɒnɪst/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːnɪst/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈä-nəst/ (ame, mw)
honest — 形容詞
- honestpositive
- more honestcomparative
- most honestsuperlative
1. describes a person who always tells the truth and does not steal, cheat, or dece
誠實的
不說謊、不欺騙的
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.
技工給了 Liam 一份誠實的汽車維修估價。
honest + estimate / quote — trustworthy business interaction
Aunt Rosa has always been an honest person who never tells lies.
Rosa 阿姨一直是個誠實的人，從來不說謊。
describes a person's character trait
Ava trusted her honest accountant to file the taxes correctly every year.
Ava 信任她誠實的會計師，每年都能正確地報稅。
Quan promised to be honest with his parents about his grades.
Quan 答應要對父母誠實，告訴他們自己的成績。
The shopkeeper was known for being honest with all her customers.
這位店主對待所有顧客都以誠實著稱。
- 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
坦率的
直接表達真實想法的
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.
Mauricio 對這個設計給出了坦率的意見，雖然那不是我們想要的。
honest opinion — direct and open, even if unwelcome
Élise was completely honest with me about her plans to leave the company.
Élise 對我完全坦率地說明了她要離開公司的計畫。
honest with + person + about + topic
I need an honest answer — do you think this plan will work?
我需要一個坦率的回答——你覺得這個計畫行得通嗎？
The Watanabe family appreciated Eshe's honest feedback on their proposal.
渡邊一家很感謝 Eshe 對他們的提案提出坦率的回饋。
Dr. Okafor gave the patient an honest assessment of his recovery time.
Okafor 醫生坦率地告訴病人他復原所需的時間。
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 — 副詞
1. in a way that is truthful and does not involve cheating, lying, or stealing.
誠實地
做事誠實；不欺騙地
in a way that is truthful and does not involve cheating, lying, or stealing.
Ziad answered all the questions honestly during the job interview.
Ziad 在面試時誠實地回答了所有的問題。
manner adverb: answered honestly
The company has always dealt honestly with its business partners.
這家公司一直誠實地與商業夥伴往來。
dealt honestly — business collocation
Vikram honestly reported the mistake to his line manager.
Vikram 誠實地向直屬主管報告了這個錯誤。
Sivan earned every cent honestly by working at the local bakery.
Sivan 在當地的麵包店工作，誠實地賺取每一分錢。
- 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
老實說
說真心話時使用；表達真實看法
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.
我真的不知道 Eric 派對後去了哪裡。
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.
老實說，我覺得我們應該在房租調漲之前搬到小一點的公寓。
sentence adverb: Honestly, + clause — signals frankness
Niran honestly believed that the treatment would help his knee heal faster.
Niran 真心相信那種治療能讓他的膝蓋快點好起來。
Honestly speaking, the concert was not as good as Mark had expected.
老實說，那場演唱會沒有 Mark 預期的那麼好。
Cyrus told me honestly that he did not agree with the committee's decision.
Cyrus 老實告訴我，他不同意委員會的決定。
- 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.