honestly

honestly — 副詞

1. to speak or act without lying, cheating, or hiding the truth, so that others can

1.副詞B1
釋義

誠實地

以不欺騙、不說謊的方式

to speak or act without lying, cheating, or hiding the truth, so that others can trust what you say or do.

例句

The accountant answered all the auditor's questions about the budget honestly.

會計師誠實地回答了審計員關於預算的所有問題。

manner adverb: answer + honestly

Xiu told her parents honestly that she had broken the vase by accident.

Xiu 誠實地告訴爸媽，是她不小心打破了花瓶。

同義詞
  • truthfully

    More specific to speech and statements; 'honestly' also covers actions and behaviour.

  • fairly

    Emphasises justice and equal treatment rather than truthfulness.

  • openly

    Focuses on hiding nothing; 'honestly' adds a moral dimension of not deceiving.

  • candidly

    More formal; suggests speaking without hiding feelings or opinions, while 'honestly' is broader.

反義詞
  • dishonestly

    Direct opposite; acting with deceit or fraud.

  • deceitfully

    Emphasises intentional misleading, stronger negative connotation.

文法句型

verb + honestly (post-verbal)

honestly + verb (pre-verbal emphasis)

honestly + about + noun phrase

用法筆記

The most common position is after the verb it modifies (e.g. 'speak honestly', 'act honestly'). Placing 'honestly' before the verb adds emphasis to the speaker's sincerity.

常見錯誤

❌The student answered honestly to the teacher when he said he didn't know.
✅The student told the teacher honestly that he didn't know.
💡'Answer honestly' is usually followed directly by a question or a that-clause, not by 'to + person'.
❌He didn't speak honestly at dinner last night.' (meaning he was quiet).
✅He didn't speak honestly during the meeting
💡he hid some important facts.' — 'Did not speak honestly' means the person lied or was misleading, not that they were silent.

2. said when you feel strongly that something someone has said or done is wrong, un

2.副詞B2
釋義

真是的

表達不滿或惱怒的語氣

said when you feel strongly that something someone has said or done is wrong, unfair, or annoying, and you want to express your frustration directly.

例句

Honestly, Rachel, do you have to leave your dirty dishes in the sink every single day?

真是的，Rachel，你非得每天把髒盤子留在水槽裡嗎？

sentence adverb + name: expressing frustration about repeated behaviour

Honestly, I cannot believe the boss expects us to finish this project by Friday.

真是的，我真不敢相信老闆要我們在星期五之前完成這個專案。

同義詞
  • seriously

    Similar frustration marker but can also express disbelief without annoyance.

  • for goodness' sake

    Stronger, more emotional; less common in everyday speech.

  • come on

    More conversational; can express impatience with a situation rather than a person.

文法句型

Honestly, + [clause expressing frustration]

Honestly, + [question expressing disbelief]

用法筆記

Almost always begins the sentence or clause, followed by a comma. Strongly associated with spoken or informal written English (messages, social media). Using this sense in formal writing may sound rude or impatient.

常見錯誤

❌Honestly, I really appreciate your help with this.' (intended as sincere thanks).
✅I honestly appreciate all your help with this.
💡Sentence-initial 'Honestly' followed by appreciation sounds contradictory because sense 2 signals annoyance. Use 'I honestly...' (sense 3) instead.
❌Honestly, I think your idea is interesting.' (neutral statement).
✅Honestly, your idea makes no sense at all.
💡Sense 2 pairs with strong negative reactions; mixing it with mild or positive content confuses the listener.

3. said to insist that you are telling the truth, especially when your statement mi

3.副詞B2
釋義

老實說

強調所說的話確實屬實

said to insist that you are telling the truth, especially when your statement might be surprising, difficult to believe, or contrary to what others think.

例句

Honestly, Kabir did not mean to upset anyone with his comment about the proposal.

老實說，Kabir 在評論提案時並沒有打算讓任何人不高興。

sentence adverb: assuring sincerity about someone else's intentions

I honestly thought the exam would be much harder than it actually was.

我老實說原本以為考試會比實際難得多。

pattern: I honestly thought + that-clause

同義詞
  • truthfully

    More direct; implies telling facts rather than expressing a sincere feeling.

  • frankly

    Focuses on being open and direct, sometimes blunt; 'honestly' adds warmth.

  • seriously

    More informal; often used as a single-word exclamation ('Seriously?') whereas 'honestly' works as a sentence adverb.

  • genuinely

    Emphasises that a feeling or belief is real and not pretended; close to 'honestly' in sincerity contexts.

文法句型

Honestly, + [statement]

I honestly + [verb of thinking or feeling]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: both can start a sentence, but sense 3 asserts truthfulness (often with a surprising or contrary statement), while sense 2 expresses disapproval. When placed before a verb of thinking ('honestly thought', 'honestly believed'), this sense is unambiguous.

常見錯誤

❌Honestly, I can't believe you forgot my birthday again.' (angry).
✅I honestly didn't think you would forget my birthday.
💡The first expresses annoyance (sense 2), not sincerity. Use 'I honestly didn't think...' (sense 3) when you mean to say your belief was genuine.
❌Honestly, your presentation was amazing — I'm being serious.
✅I honestly think your presentation was amazing.
💡Placing 'honestly' at the start of a compliment can sound like sense 2 (annoyance/sarcasm). Using 'I honestly think...' keeps the meaning clear.