- Signals that the speaker is about to state a candid, potentially sensitive, critical, or surprising opinion or fact directly.
- It emphasizes the speaker's sincerity, especially when the statement might be unexpected or slightly uncomfortable.
Explanation
Origin
- Derived directly from the adjective honest and adverb honestly.
- Used as a discourse marker or introductory phrase to frame the subsequent statement as truthful and frank from the speaker's point of view.
- It's a conventional way to preface potentially delicate information.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Not gonna lie / NGL: Very common, especially online and among younger speakers.
- Keeping it real / Keeping it 100: Emphasizes authenticity, often used in urban/hip-hop culture. Means being completely truthful.
- Real talk: Similar to 'Keeping it real', signals a serious, honest statement is coming.
- Imma be real witchu (I'm going to be real with you): Very informal, slang pronunciation.
Vulgar/Emphatic:
- To be brutally honest...: Implies the truth might be harsh.
- No bullshit... / No BS: Very informal/vulgar, asserts absolute truthfulness without sugarcoating.
- Let's cut the crap...: Signals impatience and a desire for direct honesty.
More Formal:
- Candidly speaking...
- In truth...
- If I may be frank...
Situational Appropriateness
- Can be used in both informal and moderately formal settings.
- The appropriateness depends heavily on the *content* that follows.
- Use with caution when offering unsolicited criticism, especially to superiors or sensitive individuals.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Overuse can make the speaker sound insincere or imply that their *other* statements weren't honest.
- Can sometimes sound slightly blunt or abrupt if the tone isn't managed carefully.
Examples
- To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of the restaurant.
- Honestly, I think we should reconsider the plan.
- I'm tired, to be honest.
Dialogue
Sarah: How did the meeting go?
Ben: Honestly? It was kind of a waste of time. We didn't decide anything.
Sarah: Oh, really? I was hoping you'd finalize the budget.
Ben: To be honest, I don't think we were prepared enough.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: To be honest, I'm already over this heat wave. 🥵 #summer #toohot
- Comment: Honestly, the book was better than the movie adaptation. Anyone else agree? #books #movies
- Forum Post: User_A: What's the best programming language? User_B: Honestly, it depends entirely on what you're trying to build.
Response Patterns
- Acknowledgement: Okay, thanks for telling me., I appreciate your honesty.
- Agreement: Yeah, I felt the same way., Honestly, me too.
- Disagreement/Surprise: Really? I quite liked it., Oh? Why do you say that?
- Defensive: Well, I worked really hard on it. (If the honest statement was critical).
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After hearing To be honest... [criticism/negative opinion]:
- The listener might ask for clarification or reasons: Why didn't you like it?, What makes you say that?, What specifically was the issue?
- They might defend the subject: Well, I thought the ending was good.
- They might simply acknowledge: Okay, noted.
After hearing Honestly... [personal feeling/fact]:
- The listener might show empathy or ask for more details: Oh really? Why so tired?, Yeah, it's been a long week.
Conversation Starter
- No. It's typically used mid-conversation to introduce a specific opinion or feeling, not to start one.
Intonation
- Often spoken with a slight pause afterwards.
- Stress typically falls on HON in Honestly or HON in To be HONest.
- Usually followed by a neutral or slightly falling intonation on the main statement.
Generation Differences
- Widely used across most adult generations.
- Younger generations might also frequently use Not gonna lie (NGL).
Regional Variations
- Very common and standard across all major English-speaking regions (US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc.).