unassuming

[ uhn-uh-soo-ming ]

/ ˌʌn əˈsu mɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unassuming ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

modest; unpretentious.

Nearby words

Origin of unassuming

First recorded in 1720–30; un-¹ + assuming

Related formsun·as·sum·ing·ly, adverbun·as·sum·ing·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unassuming

In a tucked-away grave marked with a flat, unassuming stone, Anastasio Umberto bears that distinction.
Brooklyn’s Gangster Graveyard|Nina Strochlic|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Got to find that man, Harold vowed, and he did, locating an unassuming barber in South Brooklyn.
The Stacks: Harold Conrad Was Many Things, But He Was Never, Ever Dull|Mark Jacobson|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The unassuming, charisma-free central banker never set out to be a player the way his predecessor Alan Greenspan did.
Bernanke Drop the Mic as He Exits the Fed|Daniel Gross|December 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Over lunch in a Toronto café, she proved sharp, funny, forthright, and unassuming.
Three Cheers for Alice Munro’s Nobel Prize in Literature|Malcolm Jones|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

This unassuming, 39-seat spot in Los Angeles went from the minor leagues one year to the best restaurant of the year the next.
America’s Best New Restaurant|Bon Appétit|August 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Personally he was a man of fine presence and manners, always pleasant to meet with on the street, cordial and unassuming.
Cleveland Past and Present|Maurice Joblin
More, it was apparent that Phyllis had taken one of her sudden likings to the unassuming freshman.
Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore|Pauline Lester
Here in Timber Town I met them—the unassuming celebrity, and the young entrepreneur.
The Tale of Timber Town|Alfred Grace
Success deceives the most unassuming, and prevents them from foreseeing an approaching reverse.
Memoirs To Illustrate The History Of My Time|Franois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
He was a plain, unassuming man, and did not feel above writing his speeches.
Remarks|Bill Nye

British Dictionary definitions for unassuming

unassuming

/ (ˌʌnəˈsjuːmɪŋ) /

adjective

modest or unpretentious

Derived Formsunassumingly, adverbunassumingness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unassuming

unassuming

adj.

"unpretentious," 1726, from un- (1) "not" + infinitive of assume.

unassuming

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of unassuming

Examples from the Web for unassuming

unassuming

adjective

unassuming