tell you the truth
265
4.5
- idiom
- Informal
- Now, to tell you the truth, I had no idea how this would be done.
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Watch on YouTubeAnd I still haven't seen the movie, to tell you the truth.
- And I still haven't seen the movie, to tell you the truth.
- You don't think I'm telling you the truth?
- I'm not big fan of shirt dresses to tell you the truth.
- And I wasn't much of A horseman either, to tell you the truth.
- I'm going to tell you the truth.
- I nearly started courting myself, to tell you the truth, but Ruth jumped on board with me as a sinking ship.
Examples
-
... not good, to tell you the truth, not good at all.
Fiction book (1993) -
Well, to tell you the truth, we only just met.
-
I need to tell you the truth.
-
You have no idea how many times I tried to tell you the truth.
-
It's time I told you the truth.
-
Well, to tell you the truth, I feel kind of nervous.
-
I think they were scared of me, to tell you the truth.
Fiction book (1994) -
"Well, to tell you the truth, most of the men here have done the same thing."
Fiction book (1995) -
I mean, I thought they were kidding, to tell you the truth, you know?
-
To tell you the truth, I didn't expect to see her at the meeting.
Synonyms
∞
3.2
In an honest and direct way that may upset or surprise
541
2.3
To show you are telling the truth or how you really feel
292
3.2
To say something that is true even if it is surprising
144
7.9
Used to say something is completely honest without exaggeration
123
1.3
In a truthful way that shows you mean what you say
106
1.4
In a clear honest way, saying what you think
85
7.0
To say something plainly without hiding feelings
56
5.6
You say it to show you are honest, even if it sounds awkward
25
4.1
In an honest, direct way without hiding your true thoughts
18
8.3
A phrase that shows the next thing you say is honest
7
6.1
A phrase people say to show what they say is really true
6
6.7
In a direct and honest way without hiding anything
1
9.9
To say firmly that what you say is true
Antonyms
How Frank
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to say something honestly' follows directly from the constituents: 'tell' (say), 'you' (the listener) and 'truth' (something true), so a learner who knows these words can infer it is a preface signalling honesty. The phrase is compositional and pragmatically conventional (used to introduce a frank statement), a pattern common across languages, making it transparent for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Tell you the truth comes from the image of someone pausing to promise they will really tell the truth. That's why people use it before an 'honest' or surprising statement.