TBH is the longest-running honesty-prefix in chat. It signals that what follows is the writer’s real opinion, often slightly more candid than they would otherwise be.
Sits in a cluster with NGL, IMO and FWIW. TBH is the most neutral; NGL leans newer and more casual; IMO is more opinion-flagging than honesty-flagging.
Lowercase by default.
Examples
How TBH reads in the wild.
- “tbh i’d rather just stay in tonight”
- “tbh the second album is better than the first”
Where you’ll see it
Common questions
What does TBH mean?
TBH stands for "To Be Honest". Short for “to be honest” — the original softener before an opinion.
How is TBH used?
TBH is the longest-running honesty-prefix in chat. It signals that what follows is the writer’s real opinion, often slightly more candid than they would otherwise be. Sits in a cluster with NGL, IMO and FWIW. TBH is the most neutral; NGL leans newer and more casual; IMO is more opinion-flagging than honesty-flagging. Lowercase by default.
Where will I see TBH?
TBH is commonly used on Instagram, TikTok, X, iMessage.