I truthfully thought

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I truthfully thought" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing a genuine belief or opinion that you held at a certain time. Example: "I truthfully thought that the meeting was scheduled for Friday, not Thursday."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"I would not put a healthy animal to sleep unless I truthfully thought the quality of life for that animal would go down dramatically.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

At this point, I truthfully think being a sour bitch and refusing to be a team player is Violet's strategy, rather than her personality.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"I truthfully never thought it would catch on, I thought I would be lucky if I could get just my campus to participate in it.

Vice

But I truthfully never thought about any of my own marriages, or my own feelings about them.

The New York Times

"Truthfully, I think I'm scared that it will be criticised, so I don't want to lose my confidence".

The Guardian - TV & Radio

And truthfully, I thought a lot like Mayer.

Huffington Post

Truthfully, I thought the story was intriguing and the sex scenes were hot.

Huffington Post

Truthfully, I think I'd just as soon see statements like that as carefully thought-out endorsements of climate science.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Truthfully, I think I'm better.

The New York Times - Sports

"Wendell Berry returned to his Kentucky, but truthfully, I think I'm failing at it," she said.

The New York Times

Truthfully, I think I only made it this far by closing my eyes to the sheer madness of the adventure.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I truthfully thought" to emphasize the sincerity of your past belief, particularly when the situation might suggest otherwise or when you want to highlight your honesty.

Common error

Avoid using "I truthfully thought" excessively in your writing. While it emphasizes sincerity, overuse can make your writing sound repetitive or insincere. Vary your language with alternatives like "I honestly believed" or "I genuinely felt" depending on context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I truthfully thought" functions as a declarative statement, expressing a past belief with an emphasis on the speaker's sincerity. It introduces a thought or opinion that the speaker held as true at some point. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "I truthfully thought" is a grammatically correct phrase used to express a sincere past belief. While not very common, it adds emphasis to the honesty of the statement, particularly in contexts where sincerity might be questioned. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. The phrase is most frequently found in news and media sources. Remember to use it judiciously and vary your language with alternatives like "I honestly believed" or "I genuinely felt" to avoid repetition.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I honestly believed

Replaces 'truthfully thought' with 'honestly believed', focusing more on the belief aspect.

I genuinely felt

Substitutes 'thought' with 'felt' and 'truthfully' with 'genuinely', emphasizing a sincere emotional perception.

I sincerely considered

Changes 'thought' to 'considered' and 'truthfully' to 'sincerely', indicating a thoughtful evaluation rather than a simple belief.

I truly presumed

Replaces 'thought' with 'presumed' and 'truthfully' with 'truly', implying an assumption made with conviction.

I firmly held the belief

Expresses a strong conviction held in the past, replacing the more direct 'truthfully thought'.

I was under the distinct impression

Conveys that the speaker had a clear and specific idea, differing from a general thought.

I had the honest opinion

Highlights the honesty behind the opinion, similar to 'truthfully thought'.

In all honesty, I thought

Adds an introductory phrase to emphasize honesty before stating the thought.

To be honest, I believed

Similar to the previous, but using 'believed' instead of 'thought', and starting with 'To be honest'.

With complete sincerity, I assumed

Emphasizes the sincerity of the assumption, conveying a sense of earnestness.

FAQs

How can I use "I truthfully thought" in a sentence?

Use "I truthfully thought" to express a sincere belief or opinion you held in the past. For example, "I truthfully thought the project would be completed on time."

What can I say instead of "I truthfully thought"?

You can use alternatives like "I honestly believed", "I genuinely felt", or "I sincerely considered" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to say "I truthfully thought"?

While the word "truthfully" emphasizes sincerity, it's not inherently redundant. It adds weight to your statement, implying that there might be a reason to doubt your sincerity otherwise. However, be mindful of overuse.

What's the difference between "I truthfully thought" and "I truly thought"?

"I truthfully thought" highlights the honesty behind your past belief, whereas "I truly thought" simply emphasizes the genuineness of the thought itself. The difference is subtle but can impact the tone of your statement.