honest
honest Lexical Profile
honest Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere and morally upright.
"She gave an honest assessment of the project's challenges during the board meeting."
Fairly earned, especially through hard work rather than fraudulent or illicit means.
"He worked long hours at the carpentry shop to earn an honest living for his family."
Simple, unpretentious, and genuine; unsophisticated.
"The small bistro serves honest, home-style meals made from fresh local ingredients."
• adverb
Used in informal speech to emphasize the sincerity or truth of a statement; genuinely.
"Honest, I had no idea that the surprise party was planned for tonight."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because the initial 'h' in 'honest' is silent, it takes the indefinite article 'an' rather than 'a' (e.g., 'an honest mistake').
• Rhymes for honest
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'honeste', from Latin 'honestus' (meaning 'honorable, respected, or virtuous'), which derives from 'honos' ('honor').