Standard Lemma guide

frankly

adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /fɹæŋkli/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈfɹwæŋkllɪi̯] ~ [ˈfɹwæŋklɪ]
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˈfɹaŋklɪj/
  • Midlands, Northern-England: /ˈfɹaŋkli/
  • Wales: /ˈfɾaŋkli/
  • Scotland: /ˈfɾaŋkle/
  • Scotland: /-lɪ/
  • Scotland: /-li/
  • US: /fɹæŋkli/ without æ-raising
  • US: [ˈfɹwæŋklɪi̯] without æ-raising
  • /fɹeɪŋkli/ US, Canada, æ-raising
  • [ˈfɹweɪ̯ŋkɪi̯] ~ [ˈfɹwɛ̃ŋkɪi̯] US, Canada, æ-raising
  • æ-tensing: a=US Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /fɹæːŋkli/
  • Australian: [ˈfɹwæːŋklɪi̯]
  • Australian: [ˈfɹweːŋklɪi̯] æ-raising
  • New-Zealand: /fɹɛŋkli/
  • CMU ARPABET: F R AE1 NG K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a frank or candid manner, especially in a way that may seem too open, excessively honest, or slightly blunt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to speak frankly
  • He spoke frankly about the economy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: candidly, forthcomingly, honestly, truthfully, bluntly, outright, earnestly, for real, for realsies, frankly, genuinely, legitimately, no cap, openly, simply, sincerely, singly, straight up, truly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

In truth, to tell the truth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: sentence adverb

Examples

  • Most of what they said was, frankly, a pack of lies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: as a matter of fact, to be frank, truth to tell, above a bit, actually, all things considered, by right, certainly, come to think of it, de facto, definitely, de jure, fact is, forsooth, frankly, honestly, in actuality, in all honesty, indubitably, in fact, in faith, in point of fact, in reality, in truth, indeed, legitimately, literally, not gonna lie, properly, really, right, simply, soothfast, soothly, surely, to be honest, TBH, to tell the truth, truly, truthfully, undoubtedly, verily, very much, wis

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

To a degree large enough as to be plainly evident.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • frankly septic
  • frankly psychotic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • honestly, I don't believe it
  • candidly, I think she doesn't have a conscience
  • frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: honestly, candidly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English frank Middle English -ly English -ly English frankly From frank + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بِصَراحة (biṣarāḥa) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Belarusian: шчы́ра (ščýra) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Belarusian: адкры́та (adkrýta) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Belarusian: пра́ма (práma) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Belarusian: чэ́сна (čésna) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Bulgarian: и́скрено (ískreno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Bulgarian: открове́но (otkrovéno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Bulgarian: пря́мо (prjámo) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Bulgarian: че́стно (čéstno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Danish: ærligt talt — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Dutch: ronduit — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Esperanto: malkaŝe — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Estonian: otse — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Finnish: suoraan — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Finnish: suorapuheisesti — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Finnish: sanalla sanottuna — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • French: franchement — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌱𐌰 (balþaba) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Greek: ειλικρινά (eilikriná) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Hungarian: magyarán — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Italian: francamente — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Japanese: 正直に (shōjiki ni) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Korean: 솔직히 (soljikhi) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Macedonian: искрено (iskreno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Norwegian Bokmål: beint fram — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: beintfram — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Polish: szczerze — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Polish: bez ogródek — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Portuguese: francamente — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Russian: пря́мо (prjámo) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Russian: откры́то (otkrýto) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Russian: открове́нно (otkrovénno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Russian: и́скренне (ískrenne) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Russian: че́стно (čéstno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: и̏скрено — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: ȉskreno — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Spanish: francamente — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Ukrainian: щи́ро (ščýro) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Ukrainian: відве́рто (vidvérto) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Ukrainian: пря́мо (prjámo) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Ukrainian: че́сно (čésno) — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Volapük: stedäliko — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Volapük: stedälo — in a frank, open or (too) honest manner
  • Azerbaijani: sözün düzü — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Azerbaijani: sözün açığı — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Finnish: suoraan sanoen — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Finnish: suoraan sanottuna — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Finnish: totta puhuakseni — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Finnish: jos totta puhutaan — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Finnish: sanalla sanottuna — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Finnish: sanalla sanoen — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • German: ehrlich gesagt — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • German: um ehrlich zu sein — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Indonesian: sejujurnya — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ærlig talt — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Norwegian Bokmål: oppriktig talt — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ærleg talt — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Polish: szczerze — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Portuguese: francamente — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Russian: че́стно говоря́ (čéstno govorjá) — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth
  • Swedish: ärligt talat — (sentence adverb) In truth, to tell the truth