honestly

From Middle English honestly, honestlyche, honestliche, equivalent to honest +‎ -ly.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑnɪstli/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒnɪstli/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Hyphenation: hon‧est‧ly

• Audio (US):

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honestly (comparative more honestly, superlative most honestly)

1. (manner) In an honest manner.

   He answered the questions honestly.

   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter XIII, Democracy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker):

     You honestly quit your tools; quit a most muddy confused coil of sore work, short rations, of sorrows, dispiritments and contradictions, having now honestly done with it all; — and await, not entirely in a distracted manner, what the Supreme Powers, and the Silences and the Eternities may have to say to you.

   • 1896, Elsa d'Esterre Keeling, Old Maids and Young, volume 1, page 220:

     I can't honestly say that I feel any elatement at the prospect.

   • 1902, J. M. Barrie, The Little White Bird:

     Nevertheless, you must know (if I am to speak honestly to you) that I do not repent me those dallyings in enchanted fields.

2. Frankly, to be honest.

   Honestly, I didn't believe a word she said.

• (honest manner): candidly, sincerely, truthfully; see also Thesaurus:honestly
• (frankly): as a matter of fact, in all honesty, in point of fact, in truth; see also Thesaurus:actually

honestly

1. Used to express exasperation, dismay, etc.

   Honestly! I want to finish this work and you keep interrupting.

• really

• on the sly

• honesteliche, honestelie, honestely, honestli, honestliche, honestlyche, onestelike, onestely, onestli, onestly

From honeste (“honourable, appropriate, excellent”) +‎ -ly (adverbial suffix).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔnɛst(ə)liː/, /ˈɔnɛst(ə)lit͡ʃ(ə)/

honestly

1. honourably, respectfully, nobly
2. respectably, appropriately, politely
3. tastefully, splendidly
4. ethically, virtuously

• English: honestly

• “honestlī(che, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.