honest
English
Etymology
From Middle English honest, honeste, from Old French honeste, from Latin honestus, from honor. For the verb, see Latin honestāre (“to clothe or adorn with honour”), and compare French honester.
Pronunciation
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Audio (US): (file)
Adjective
honest (comparative honester or more honest, superlative honestest or most honest)
- (of a person or institution) Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.
- We’re the most honest people you will ever come across.
- (Can we date this quote by Sir W. Temple and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- An honest physician leaves his patient when he can contribute no farther to his health.
- (of a statement) True, especially as far as is known by the person making the statement; fair; unbiased.
- an honest account of events
- honest reporting
- In good faith; without malice.
- an honest mistake
- (of a measurement device) Accurate.
- an honest scale
- Authentic; full.
- an honest day’s work
- Earned or acquired in a fair manner.
- an honest dollar
- Open; frank.
- an honest countenance
- (obsolete) Decent; honourable; suitable; becoming.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Behold what honest clothes you send forth to bleaching!
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)
- 1624, William Simons, “The Gouernment Returned againe to Sir Thomas Gates, 1611”, in Iohn Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 4; reprinted in The Generall Historie of Virginia, [...] (Bibliotheca Americana), Cleveland, Oh.: The World Publishing Company, 1966, →OCLC, page 111:
- […] Vpon the verge of the Riuer there are fiue houſes, wherein liue the honeſter ſort of people, as Farmers in England, and they keepe continuall centinell for the townes ſecuritie.
- 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Æsop, &c.] Fab[le] CLV. A Shepherd and a Wolves Whelp [Reflexion].”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 6:
- [T]here are Wolf-Whelps in Palaces, and Governments, as well as in Cottages, and Foreſts. […] They go out however, as there is Occaſion, and Hunt and Growle for Company; but at the ſame time, they give the Sign out of their Maſters hand, hold Intelligence with the Enemy; and Make uſe of their Power and Credit to Worry Honeſter Men them Themſelves.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (obsolete) Chaste; faithful; virtuous.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Wives may be merry, and yet honest too.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:honest
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
scrupulous with regard to telling the truth
|
of a statement: true, fair, unbiased
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in good faith, without malice
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of a measurement device: accurate
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authentic, full
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earned or acquired in a fair manner
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Verb
honest (third-person singular simple present honests, present participle honesting, simple past and past participle honested)
- (obsolete) To adorn or grace; to honour; to make becoming, appropriate, or honourable.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Archbishop Sandys to this entry?)
- (Can we date this quote by Ben Jonson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- You have very much honested my lodging with your presence.
Adverb
honest (comparative more honest, superlative most honest)
- (colloquial) Honestly; really.
- It wasn’t my fault, honest.
Further reading
- “honest”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “honest”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
Adjective
honest (feminine honesta, masculine plural honests or honestos, feminine plural honestes)
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “honest” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “honest”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “honest” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “honest” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- Requests for date/Sir W. Temple
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Requests for date/Shakespeare
- Requests for quotations/Chaucer
- English terms with quotations
- English verbs
- Requests for quotations/Archbishop Sandys
- Requests for date/Ben Jonson
- English adverbs
- English colloquialisms
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan adjectives