What does "honest" mean?
To adorn or grace; to honour; to make becoming, appropriate, or honourable.
Honest
/ˈɒn.ɪst/ adj, adv, verb, slang
adj, adv, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To adorn or grace; to honour; to make becoming, appropriate, or honourable.
- Grammar: honest is listed as adj, adv, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: above-board, aboveboard, academic integrity, angelic.
- Useful contrasts: bad, deceptive, dishonest.
- Usage evidence: If you are honest, I will hire you.
How to use "honest"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "honest" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "honest" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "honest" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "honest" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "honest" is acting as adj, adv, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "above-board" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "honest", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To adorn or grace; to honour; to make becoming, appropriate, or honourable. obsolete
"You have very much honested my lodging with your presence."
Adjective
- 1 Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.
"brutally honest"
- 2 True, especially as far as is known by the person making the statement; fair; unbiased.
"an honest account of events"
- 3 In good faith; without malice.
"an honest mistake"
- 4 Accurate.
"an honest scale"
- 5 Authentic; full.
"an honest day's work"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Earned or acquired in a fair manner.
"an honest dollar"
- 7 Open; frank.
"an honest countenance"
- 8 Decent; honourable; suitable; becoming. obsolete
"Behold what honest clothes you send forth to bleaching!"
- 9 Chaste; faithful; virtuous. obsolete
"Wives may be merry, and yet honest too."
Adjective
- 1 gained or earned without cheating or stealing wordnet
- 2 not forged wordnet
- 3 not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent; marked by truth wordnet
- 4 without pretensions wordnet
- 5 without dissimulation; frank wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 worthy of being depended on wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Honestly; really. colloquial
"It wasn’t my fault, honest."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"If you are honest, I will hire you."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "honest"?
Common synonyms include: above-board, aboveboard, academic integrity, angelic, artless, authentic.
How do you use "honest" in a sentence?
If you are honest, I will hire you.
How do you pronounce "honest"?
Pronounced /ˈɒn.ɪst/.
Etymology
From Middle English honest, honeste (“honourable, appropriate, excellent”), from Old French honeste, from Latin honestus, from honor. For the verb, see Latin honestāre (“to clothe or adorn with honour”), and compare French honester. Displaced native Old English sōþfæst (literally “truth-firm”).