unvarnished
adjective
un·var·nished
ˌən-ˈvär-nisht 
1
a
: not adorned or glossed : plain, straightforward
told the unvarnished truth
2
: not coated with or as if with varnish : crude, unfinished
Synonyms
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
Critics also point out that, while content showing sexualized women are typically allowed, ads that address women’s pain or depict a more unglamorous and unvarnished picture of women’s experiences are more likely to be rejected.
—
Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
The audience is eavesdropping on unvarnished conversations, with the talkers’ masks off, laying out their true feelings and attitudes: hope, worry, confusion, love, hate and bigotry.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud presents an unvarnished look at Brown’s uphill climb from seventh grade dropout, shoeshine boy and buck dancer to soul/funk pioneer, business mogul and civil rights activist.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024
This is the unvarnished telling of the New England Patriots story.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024
American Weekend still resonates in part because of its unvarnished frankness about selfishness, nihilism, and willful isolation from loved ones.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2024
Kudos to Reichardt for this unvarnished portrait of the creative process.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
But none have come close to Trump’s unvarnished quid pro quo on spending.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024
What about Cronin’s tendency to share his unvarnished thoughts with the media?
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
The audience is eavesdropping on unvarnished conversations, with the talkers’ masks off, laying out their true feelings and attitudes: hope, worry, confusion, love, hate and bigotry.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud presents an unvarnished look at Brown’s uphill climb from seventh grade dropout, shoeshine boy and buck dancer to soul/funk pioneer, business mogul and civil rights activist.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024
This is the unvarnished telling of the New England Patriots story.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024
American Weekend still resonates in part because of its unvarnished frankness about selfishness, nihilism, and willful isolation from loved ones.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2024
Kudos to Reichardt for this unvarnished portrait of the creative process.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
But none have come close to Trump’s unvarnished quid pro quo on spending.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024
What about Cronin’s tendency to share his unvarnished thoughts with the media?
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unvarnished.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unvarnished
Cite this Entry
“Unvarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unvarnished. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unvarnished
adjective
un·var·nished
ˌən-ˈvär-nisht
ˈən-
1
: not adorned or exaggerated : plain
the unvarnished truth
2
: not varnished
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