Honest With: Standard Pattern
Honest With: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.
Use “honest with” before the person or group toward whom someone is being truthful.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| person or group toward whom someone is truthful | honest with + person/group | Use “with” before the recipient of the honesty. |
| subject matter being discussed truthfully | honest about + topic | Use “about” for the topic rather than forcing “with.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the following phrase identify the person or group receiving the truthful statement?
If yes: Use “honest with.”
If no: If it identifies the topic or issue, use “honest about” instead.
Caveat: A sentence can contain both patterns because they answer different questions: honest with whom, and honest about what.
Examples
Please be honest with me.
“With” introduces the person who should receive the truth.
The manager was honest with the team.
The complement is the group addressed truthfully.
She was honest with us about the delay.
“With us” names the people; “about the delay” names the topic.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “honest with” before the person or group toward whom someone is being truthful.
Style Boundary
Cambridge separately attests “honest about” for the subject or matter being discussed; the two patterns serve different complements.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- honest — Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Learner-dictionary examples directly attesting honest about and honest with constructions.