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

The novels for adults form a genre unto themselves: part crime thriller, part satire, part unvarnished social commentary. —Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025

Inside Hollywood’s Thirty-Mile Zone, however, the reaction was more like unvarnished dismay. —Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 May 2025

Here's the unvarnished truth: Medicaid's miserly reimbursement rates have driven countless doctors to stop accepting patients in the program. —Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

This form of unvarnished honesty can be incredibly refreshing in an environment where jargon and double-speak run rampant. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for unvarnished

• garnished
• tarnished
• varnished
• untarnished

Kids Definition

unvarnished

adjective

un·​var·​nished ˌən-ˈvär-nisht 

ˈən-

1

: not adorned or exaggerated : plain

the unvarnished truth

2

: not varnished