honesty
gb/ˈɑnɪsti/ us/ˈɑnɪsti/
A2
English
~ 5300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
property
1
quality of being honest
the quality of always telling the truth and not cheating or stealing
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s honesty about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *an honesty* or *many honesties*, but *honesty* is almost always uncountable and used without *a* or *many*. Another mistake is using *honesty* instead of the adjective *honest*, for example saying *He is very honesty* instead of *He is very honest*.
Synonyms
integrity (stresses strong moral principles and consistency, not only telling the truth.)
|
truthfulness (focuses mainly on telling the truth, less on fairness or not cheating.)
Antonyms
dishonesty (general opposite, includes lying, cheating, or hiding the truth.)
|
deceit (suggests active, planned dishonesty to trick people.)
Collocations
complete honesty
|personal honesty
|professional honesty
|honesty and integrity
|honesty in business
|honesty about mistakes
Themes
values
|daily life
|work
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
|law
Examples
- Her honesty and integrity earned her the trust of everyone in the office.
- We expect honesty in all our financial dealings.
- His honesty about the accounting error saved the company from legal trouble.
- The teacher praised the boy's honesty when he turned in the money he found.
- Public life requires a high level of honesty from elected officials.
Learner examples
- I respect his honesty.
- Honesty is very important in a good friend.
- The shop is known for its honesty in prices.
- She showed honesty and told her boss about the problem.
- They value honesty more than success.
Noun
B2
property
2
openness in what you say
the quality of saying what you really think or feel, even when it is hard to hear
Usage pattern:
honesty about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this kind of honesty must be rude. In English, *honesty about your feelings* means being truthful, but you can still be polite and kind. Another mistake is using *honesty to* a person; the natural prepositions are *honesty with someone* or *honesty about something*.
Synonyms
candor (suggests very open, sometimes bold or surprising honesty in speech.)
|
openness (focuses on not hiding information or feelings, may sound softer than *candor*.)
Antonyms
evasion (means avoiding giving a full or direct answer.)
|
insincerity (suggests that someone is not speaking from true feelings or beliefs.)
Collocations
emotional honesty
|honesty about feelings
|painful honesty
|brutal honesty
|refreshing honesty
|honesty with others
Themes
relationships
|communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I appreciate your honesty about not enjoying the job.
- Their marriage improved after they committed to complete honesty about their feelings.
- In the interview, she impressed the panel with her honesty about her weaknesses.
- His brutal honesty can sometimes hurt people's feelings.
- Therapy requires a level of honesty that many people find challenging.
Learner examples
- Thank you for your honesty about the problem.
- We need honesty about our feelings in this conversation.
- He showed honesty and told her that he was not happy.
- Her honesty about her fear helped her friends support her.
- I like his honesty when he gives feedback.
Grammar
Dictionary form
honesty
IPA
GB/ˈɑnɪsti/
US/ˈɑnɪsti/
Syllables & stress
hon - esty (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hon)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: honesty
- Plural: honesty
Word family
Negative and opposite forms
Expressions
honesty is the best policy
1/ˈɑnɪsti ˈɪz ðə bˈɛst pˈɑlɪsi/
fixed phrase
proverb praising honesty
a saying that means it is always best to be honest, even if it seems hard at the time.
Examples
- My parents always told me that honesty is the best policy.
- He decided to tell the truth, believing that honesty is the best policy.
in all honesty
1/ˈɪn ˈɔl ˈɑnɪsti/
fixed phrase
emphasizing complete truth
used to say that what you are going to say is completely true.
Examples
- In all honesty, I never expected the project to succeed.
- He was, in all honesty, the best teacher I ever had.
to be honest with you
1/tə bˈi ˈɑnɪst wˈɪθ jˈu/
fixed phrase
prefacing direct truth to listener
used before you tell someone your real opinion or feeling, especially when it may not be what they want to hear.
Examples
- To be honest with you, I think you should look for another job.
- I'm not sure this plan will work, to be honest with you.
brutal honesty
1/bɹˈutəl ˈɑnɪsti/
fixed phrase
very direct, harsh honesty
a way of speaking that is very honest and direct, and may sound hard or hurtful.
Examples
- Her brutal honesty can make people uncomfortable.
- He answered the question with brutal honesty, not trying to make it sound nicer.
brutal honesty
2/bɹˈutəl ˈɑnɪsti/
fixed phrase
very direct, painful honesty
Saying what is true in a very direct way, even when it hurts someone’s feelings.
Examples
- I appreciate your brutal honesty about my performance.
- With brutal honesty, she told him the relationship was over.
- The review is full of brutal honesty about the product’s problems.
to be honest
1/tə bˈi ˈɑnɪst/
fixed phrase
Introducing a truthful statement
Used before saying what you really think or feel.
Examples
- To be honest, I don't like this movie much.
- To be honest, I was surprised by the result.
to be honest
1/tə bˈi ˈɑnɪst/
fixed phrase
said to be frank
Use this to say your true opinion.
Examples
- 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
2/tə bˈi ˈɑnɪst/
fixed phrase
introducing a frank statement
used before you say something that is true, especially if it may be surprising, very direct, or not polite.
Examples
- 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
3/tə bˈi ˈɑnɪst/
fixed phrase
introducing a truthful statement
Used before saying something that is true, even if it may be surprising or not what someone wants to hear.
Examples
- To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the party.
- I was a bit nervous, to be honest.