honestly
in a truthful and sincere way
Used to say that you are telling the truth and not lying.
honestly [verb/statement]
- I honestly don’t know what happened.
- She spoke honestly about her mistakes.
- Honestly, I had no idea you were coming.
- He honestly believes he can win.
- They answered all the questions honestly.
- I honestly don't know the answer.
- He honestly thinks it is a good idea.
- Honestly, I am very tired.
- She honestly told me the truth.
used to show surprise or emphasis
Used to show strong feeling like surprise or anger about something.
Honestly, [statement]
- Honestly, how could you forget the tickets?
- Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day.
- That movie was, honestly, the worst I've ever seen.
- Honestly, do you think that's a good idea?
- Honestly, I don't understand this.
- Honestly, why did you do that?
- That food was honestly very bad.
- Honestly, I can't believe it.
- Base: honestly
- Plural: honestlies
honestly speaking
1introducing a truthful statement formally
Used when you want to say something in an honest way.
- Honestly speaking, I don't think he's ready for the job.
- Honestly speaking, this is my first time here.
quite honestly
1emphasizing truthfulness strongly
Used to show that you are saying exactly what you think or feel.
- Quite honestly, I think this plan will fail.
- It was, quite honestly, the best day of my life.
to be honest
1Introducing a truthful statement
Used before saying what you really think or feel.
- To be honest, I don't like this movie much.
- To be honest, I was surprised by the result.
to be honest
1said to be frank
Use this to say your true opinion.
- To be honest, I don’t really like this movie.
- I’m tired, to be honest.
- To be honest, I forgot about the meeting.
to be honest
2introducing a frank statement
used before you say something that is true, especially if it may be surprising, very direct, or not polite.
- To be honest, I don't really like this restaurant.
- It wasn't a great game, to be honest.
- To be honest, I was scared when the plane started to shake.
to be honest
3introducing a truthful statement
Used before saying something that is true, even if it may be surprising or not what someone wants to hear.
- To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the party.
- I was a bit nervous, to be honest.