[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/honestly/)

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# honestly

adverb

«honestly» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Honestly means in an honest way, without lying, cheating or stealing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#m1)
2. Honestly is said to show you are telling the truth or giving your real opinion: «Honestly, I didn't take it.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#m2)
3. Honestly can show you are annoyed or surprised: «Oh, honestly!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#m3)

### In the lessons

In values lessons, playing honestly means following the rules; answering honestly means telling the truth even when it is hard. In everyday speech, «honestly» stresses that you mean what you say. In stories, «she answered honestly» shows the reader a truthful character. Phrases: «answer honestly», «to be honest», «honestly speaking», «Oh, honestly!».

### Examples

- Please answer honestly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x1)
- Honestly, I didn't eat the last biscuit. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x2)
- He played the game honestly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x3)
- I honestly don't know where it is. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x4)
- She honestly told the teacher she had forgotten her homework. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x5)
- "Oh, honestly! Who left the door open?" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x6)
- Honestly, it's the best book I've read. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x7)
- You can talk to me honestly about anything. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x8)
- The old debt was honestly paid, and the king got his bond back again. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/#x9)

### Note

Adverb from «honest» + -ly. The «h» is silent: «ON-ist-lee». Spelling: honest + ly; do not drop the t. Saying «honestly» does not prove someone is telling the truth.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «honestly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/honestly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«honestly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/honestly.html) on Mova free.