Honest
Definition
Honest is an adjective that describes someone who is truthful, fair, and free from deceit or fraud. It can also mean genuine or morally upright.
Parts of Speech
- Adjective
Pronunciation
American English
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈɑːnɪst/
- Respelling: AH-nist
British English
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈɒnɪst/
- Respelling: ON-ist
Etymology
The word "honest" originates from the Latin "honestus," meaning "honorable" or "respected." It entered Middle English through Old French "honneste," retaining its connotations of integrity and uprightness.
Derivatives
- Honesty (noun)
- Honestly (adverb)
- Dishonest (adjective)
- Honest-to-goodness (adjective, idiomatic)
- Unhonest (adjective, archaic)
Synonyms
- Truthful
- Trustworthy
- Sincere
Antonyms
- Dishonest
- Deceptive
- Untrustworthy
Usage
The term "honest" is commonly used to describe character traits, intentions, or statements. For example, "She is an honest person who always tells the truth," or "To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the movie."
Related Terms
- Integrity: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
- Transparency: Openness and clarity in communication or actions.
- Virtue: Behavior showing high moral standards.
Detailed Definitions
Adjective
- Free from deceit or untruthfulness; truthful: Refers to someone who tells the truth and avoids misleading others.
- Example: "He gave an honest account of what happened."
- Morally upright or virtuous: Indicates someone who adheres to high moral standards.
- Example: "She is known for being an honest leader."
- Genuine or unpretentious: Describes something sincere or free from artificiality.
- Example: "It was an honest effort, even if it didn’t succeed."
honest
Honest means telling the truth and not hiding facts.
He gave an honest account of what happened.
It was an honest effort, even if it didn’t succeed.
🇨🇳 Mandarin
- 诚实 (chéngshí): Generally used to describe honesty in a person.
- IPA: /ʈʂʰəŋ˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥/
- Respelling: chuhng-shr
- 坦白 (tǎnbái): Often used to imply an honest confession.
- IPA: /tʰaen˧˩⁵ pai˥/
- Respelling: tahn-bai
🇮🇳 Hindi
- ईमानदार (imaandaar): A general term for honest.
- IPA: /iːmaːndaːr/
- Respelling: ee-maan-daar
- सच्चा (sachchaa): Literally translates to "true," but can also mean "honest."
- IPA: /sətʃtʃaː/
- Respelling: suhch-chaa
🇪🇸 Spanish
- Honesto: Direct translation of "honest."
- IPA: /oˈnesto/
- Respelling: oh-nes-toh
- Sincero: Another term for "honest," it also means "sincere."
- IPA: /sinˈθeɾo/
- Respelling: seen-theh-roh
🇫🇷 French
- Honnête: The direct translation for "honest."
- IPA: /ɔ.nɛt/
- Respelling: oh-net
- Sincère: Can also mean "honest," but typically implies "sincere."
- IPA: /sɛ̃.sɛʁ/
- Respelling: san-sehr
🇸🇦 Modern Standard Arabic
- صادق (sadiq): A term that describes an honest person.
- IPA: /ˈsaːdiq/
- Respelling: saa-deeq
- أمين (ameen): Implies someone who is trustworthy or honest.
- IPA: /ʔaːmiːn/
- Respelling: aa-meen
🇧🇩 Bengali
- সত্যবাদী (sotyabadi): Translates to "truth speaker," which implies honesty.
- IPA: /sotjo.ba.di/
- Respelling: so-tyo-baa-dee
- ইমানদার (imanadar): A general term for honest.
- IPA: /imaːnadaːr/
- Respelling: ee-maa-na-dar
🇷🇺 Russian
- Честный (chestnyy): The main term for "honest."
- IPA: /ˈt͡ɕɛstnɨj/
- Respelling: chyest-niy
- Искренний (iskrenniy): Can also mean "honest," but is usually closer to "sincere."
- IPA: /ɪˈskrʲenʲnʲɪj/
- Respelling: is-kryen-niy
🇵🇹 Portuguese
- Honesto: This is the direct translation of "honest."
- IPA: /oˈnɛʃtu/
- Respelling: oh-nesh-to
- Sincero: Another term for "honest," it also means "sincere."
- IPA: /sĩˈseɾu/
- Respelling: seen-seh-roo
🇮🇩 Indonesian
- Jujur: The primary translation for "honest."
- IPA: /dʒu.dʒur/
- Respelling: joo-joor
- Tulus: Can mean "honest," but also implies "sincere" or "wholehearted."
- IPA: /tu.lus/
- Respelling: too-loos
🇩🇪 German
- Ehrlich: The primary term for "honest."
- IPA: /ˈeːɐ̯lɪç/
- Respelling: eyr-lich
- Aufrichtig: Can mean "honest," but is typically closer to "sincere."
- IPA: /aʊ̯fˈʁɪçtɪç/
- Respelling: ouf-rich-tich
🇯🇵 Japanese
- 正直な (shōjiki na): The most common term for "honest."
- IPA: /ɕoːdʑikina/
- Respelling: sho-jee-kee-na
- 真面目な (majime na): Can mean "honest," but also connotes "serious" or "conscientious."
- IPA: /madʑimena/
- Respelling: ma-jee-me-na
🇻🇳 Vietnamese
- Trung thực: The primary term for "honest."
- IPA: /ʈʂɨəŋ˧ˀ˨ʔ tʰwə̂k˧˧/
- Respelling: trung thook
- Thật lòng: Literally "true heart," can also mean "honest."
- IPA: /tʰaːt˧˧ ləwŋ˧˧/
- Respelling: that long
🇰🇷 Korean
- 솔직한 (soljikhan): The most common term for "honest."
- IPA: /sʰol.dʑʰi.kʰan/
- Respelling: sol-ji-khan
- 진실한 (jinsilhan): Can also mean "honest," but it's usually closer to "true" or "real."
- IPA: /dʑin.ʃil.ʔan/
- Respelling: jin-shil-han
🇹🇷 Turkish
- Dürüst: The primary term for "honest."
- IPA: /dyɾyst/
- Respelling: dur-ust
- Samimi: Can also mean "honest," but is usually closer to "sincere" or "genuine."
- IPA: /saːmiːmiː/
- Respelling: sah-mee-mee
🇵🇰 Urdu
- ایماندار (imandar): A general term for honest.
- IPA: /iːmaːndaːr/
- Respelling: ee-maan-daar
- صادق (sadiq): Describes an honest person.
- IPA: /saːdɪq/
- Respelling: saa-diq
