English Reference
Idiom idiom

to be honest

Meaning

Frankly, honestly.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“To be honest, I do not like this movie.”

CONTEXTUAL

“To be honest, I think we should choose a different restaurant for our dinner tonight.”

COMPLEX

“To be honest, the proposal lacks the necessary detail to convince the board of directors to approve the project.”

Anchors to
Related idioms5entries
  1. 01

    God's honest truth

    Unquestionable, absolute truth.

  2. 02

    Honest Abe

    A forthright and honest person.

  3. 03

    honest John

    An ordinary, honest, member of the public

  4. 04

    if I'm honest

    to be honest

  5. 05

    make an honest woman

    To marry (a woman), especially if there is an existing sexual relationship.

Last updated August 10, 2026