What is the meaning of honest-to-goodness?

adjective

  • Used informally especially for emphasis. ()
    • usage: "a real honest-to-god live cowboy"; "had us a high old time"; "went upriver to look at a sure-enough fish wheel"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). honest-to-goodness. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/honest-to-goodness/definitions/1175770
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "honest-to-goodness" http://smartdefine.org/honest-to-goodness/definitions/1175770 (accessed September 24, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, honest-to-goodness, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/honest-to-goodness/definitions/1175770>.
MLAWordNet. "honest-to-goodness" 23 October 2010. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/honest-to-goodness/definitions/1175770>