SINCERE Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'sincere' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sincere are heartfelt , hearty , unfeigned , and wholehearted . While all these words mean "genuine in feeling," sincere stresses absence of hypocrisy, feigning, or any falsifying embellishment or exaggeration. // a sincere apology

Q: When can 'heartfelt' be used instead of 'sincere'?

While in some cases nearly identical to sincere , heartfelt suggests depth of genuine feeling outwardly expressed. // expresses our heartfelt gratitude

Q: When could 'hearty' be used to replace 'sincere'?

Although the words hearty and sincere have much in common, hearty suggests honesty, warmth, and exuberance in displaying feeling. // received a hearty welcome

Q: Where would 'unfeigned' be a reasonable alternative to 'sincere'?

In some situations, the words unfeigned and sincere are roughly equivalent. However, unfeigned stresses spontaneity and absence of pretense. // her unfeigned delight at receiving the award

Q: When might 'wholehearted' be a better fit than 'sincere'?

The synonyms wholehearted and sincere are sometimes interchangeable, but wholehearted suggests sincerity and earnest devotion without reservation or misgiving. // promised our wholehearted support

sincere

adjective

sin-ˈsir

Definition of sincere

as in genuine

genuine in feeling she offered a sincere apology for her angry outburst

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in honest

free from any intent to deceive or impress others done out of a sincere desire to help others

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sincere distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sincere are heartfelt, hearty, unfeigned, and wholehearted. While all these words mean "genuine in feeling," sincere stresses absence of hypocrisy, feigning, or any falsifying embellishment or exaggeration.

a sincere apology

When can heartfelt be used instead of sincere?

While in some cases nearly identical to sincere, heartfelt suggests depth of genuine feeling outwardly expressed.

expresses our heartfelt gratitude

When could hearty be used to replace sincere?

Although the words hearty and sincere have much in common, hearty suggests honesty, warmth, and exuberance in displaying feeling.

received a hearty welcome

Where would unfeigned be a reasonable alternative to sincere?

In some situations, the words unfeigned and sincere are roughly equivalent. However, unfeigned stresses spontaneity and absence of pretense.

her unfeigned delight at receiving the award

When might wholehearted be a better fit than sincere?

The synonyms wholehearted and sincere are sometimes interchangeable, but wholehearted suggests sincerity and earnest devotion without reservation or misgiving.

promised our wholehearted support

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sincere Their maleficent Ronettes angle was funny and self-aware, but utterly sincere about the true promise of Satanism — autonomy, knowledge, freedom. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Cipparone also noted that the federal judge seemed to take Smith's apology as sincere, sentencing him to less time than what prosecutors recommended. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 Rahimi plays him as a mostly sincere but deeply conflicted man, and most importantly a desperate one, capable of some rather unexpected deceptions. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 Sisi is forced to decide whether to follow her heart or remain a sincere empress to her people. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sincere

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sincere

Adjective

As such, the greatest obstacle to genuine transformation is getting stuck in the planning cycle.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Notably, the new action comes about a month after UMG had sued DistroKid in September, claiming the company has helped empower bad actors to upload AI slop songs at mass scale, diluting the royalty pool for genuine artists.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of genuine

Adjective

Jones turned in a yeoman's effort, going 22-35 for 155 passing yards and two touchdowns while also keeping the Longhorn defense honest with his legs.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
In McDonnell, his supporters say, the mayor has an honest and principled leader who has managed to steady a department beset by low morale, dwindling staffing levels and aging facilities.

— Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

Researchers have long wondered why some people develop these reactions while others seem to skate by unaffected.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
Today, Putin follows essentially the same model, seeking to erode allies’ confidence in NATO’s Article 5 by relying on tactics that fall below the threshold of a conventional warfare and leave unaffected members hesitant to respond.

— Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unaffected

Adjective

This was a performer whose sense of self-worth, depending on the day, ranged from unfeigned humility to desperate insecurity to full-on self-loathing.

— Bruce Handy, Air Mail, 3 May 2025
His life story is inspiring, and his love of country is as unfeigned as his faith.

— Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023

Definition of unfeigned

Adjective

An invite-only Rocket Variant replaces standard features with a single-seat configuration and perimeter thrusters for true flight, rendering it non-road-legal.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
The counter-argument that these groups already get the same knowledge from Iran, which gets it from China, Russia, and North Korea, is largely true.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of true

Adjective

More than 150 innocent civilians were also killed in those strikes, according to a report released by the Pentagon this August.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
In England, poet William Cowper portrayed Mai as an innocent corrupted by European society.

— Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of innocent

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“Sincere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sincere. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sincere

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