to be honest

phraseB1informal · an editor’s judgementNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To be honest introduces a frank opinion. What follows is what you actually think.

It is one of the commonest fillers in spoken English and it usually precedes something mildly critical, since people rarely say it before a compliment. That pattern makes it a small warning to the listener. Strictly it implies you were not being honest until now, which is why careful writing cuts it. British speech shortens it to to be fair and to be honest with you, and the abbreviation TBH belongs to messages.

Definitions of to be honest

1phraseto be honestUsed to introduce a frank or blunt opinion.B1
“To be honest, I never liked the idea.”

Practised in A Man Called Ove, Small Talk & Everyday Phrases

First appears in chapter 4 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word

← Vocabulary

to be honest

phraseB1informal · an editor’s judgementNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To be honest introduces a frank opinion. What follows is what you actually think.

Definitions of to be honest

1phraseto be honestUsed to introduce a frank or blunt opinion.B1
“To be honest, I never liked the idea.”

Practised in A Man Called Ove, Small Talk & Everyday Phrases

First appears in chapter 4 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word