unvarnished

adjective

un·​var·​nished ˌən-ˈvär-nisht 

1

a

: not adorned or glossed : plain, straightforward

told the unvarnished truth

b

: artless, frank

the unvarnished candor of old people and children

—Janet Flanner

2

: not coated with or as if with varnish : crude, unfinished

Synonyms

• bald
• bare
• naked
• plain
• plain-vanilla
• simple
• unadorned
• undecorated
• unembellished
• unornamented

Examples of unvarnished in a Sentence

If you want my unvarnished opinion, the movie stinks.

I'm telling the unvarnished truth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Gere plays acclaimed documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife, who, in the face of a terminal illness, has decided to reveal the unvarnished truth about his life — warts and all — to an intimate film crew in the presence of his long-suffering wife Emma (Uma Thurman). —Damon Wise, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2024

The leaks exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine, and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. —Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2024

As someone who's been through the startup gauntlet and back, here's an unvarnished look at the storms of entrepreneurship—steeped in my own experiences: Resilience: More Than A Buzzword Resilience isn't about never getting knocked down. —Nelson Chu, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024

The result is a refreshingly unvarnished travelog, showcasing the beauty of a friendship in transition. —Samantha Allen, Them, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

unvarnished

adjective

un·​var·​nished ˌən-ˈvär-nisht 

ˈən-

1

: not adorned or exaggerated : plain

the unvarnished truth

2

: not varnished