unhonest

English

Etymology

From Middle English unhonest, unhoneste (“dishonourable”), equivalent to un- +‎ honest.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈɒnɪst/, /ʌnˈɒnəst/

Adjective

unhonest (comparative more unhonest, superlative most unhonest)

1. (rare) Dishonest, deceptive, misleading.
   • 2000, Giacomo Della Riccia, Rudolf Kruse, Hans-Joachim Lenz, Computational Intelligence in Data Mining:

     These irregularities may be caused by environment, management, and unhonest or erroneous actions of any kind.

   • 2007, ʻUbaidullāh Fahd Falāhī, Terrorism, resistance, and Islam, page 77:

     […] and the confrontation between Islam and the West, which dates back to the Arab conquests of the seventh century and the crusades." How unrealistic and even unhonest is this analysis and predating of terrorism!

   • 2008, George MacDonald Fraser, The Steel Bonnets:

     “I assured myself it was neither unjust nor unhonest for me to do for myself,” and he wrote to James reporting on the Queen's condition, and assuring him that he would be the first with the news when she died.

   • 2010, Thomas J. Holt, Bernadette Hlubik Schell, Corporate Hacking and Technology-driven Crime:

     THIS IS AN UNHONEST VENDOR, MAYBE HE HAS SOME DUMPS TO RESELL, BUT BE CAREFUL THIS RIPPER, COS IT'S YOUR MONEY BEFORE YOU TRANSFER TO THIS RIPPER!

2. (obsolete) Dishonourable; unseemly, not respectable.
   • 1564 February, Erasmus, “The Saiynges of Philippus Kyng of Macedonie”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., Apophthegmes, that is to Saie, Prompte, Quicke, Wittie and Sentẽcious Saiynges, […], London: […] Ihon Kingston, →OCLC, book II, folio 122, recto, paragraph 16:

     Theſame Alexander, be auiſed and coũſailed, that he ſhould winne and make frendes vnto him, all ſuche perſones both honeſt and vnhoneſt, good and badde, as beare any rule, ſtroke or autoritte, in the commen weale, and that the good men he ſhould vſe, and the euil perſones he ſhould abuſe, that is to ſaie, applie to ſome good vſe, that of theimſelfes they are not apte nor inclined vnto.

   • a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, edited by Margaret Ascham, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC:

     children […] should , neither see that was uncumlie, nor heare that was unhonest

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 2, member 2, subsection ii:

     ‘We envy’ (saith Isocrates) ‘wise, just, honest men […]’ though they be otherwise vicious, unhonest; we love them, favour them, and are ready to do them any good office for their beauty's sake, though they have no other good quality beside.

3. (obsolete) Immoral, morally reprehensible.

Related terms

• unhonestly

Middle English

Noun

unhonest

1. Alternative form of unhoneste (“base”)