unvarnished

[uhn-vahr-nisht]

See more synonyms for unvarnished on Thesaurus.com

adjective

plain; clear; straightforward; without vagueness or subterfuge; frank: the unvarnished truth.
unfinished, as floors or furniture; not coated with or as if with varnish.

Origin of unvarnished

First recorded in 1595–1605; un-¹ + varnish + -ed³, -ed²

Synonyms

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1. bare, naked, candid, direct.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unvarnished

Contemporary Examples

Obama, of course, insisted he wanted their independent, unvarnished judgments.
Obama’s Panel on Domestic Spying Abuses Didn’t Pull Its Punches
Daniel Klaidman
December 20, 2013
Of all the Gang of Eight senators, he was the most unvarnished in his advocacy and he has the most to lose.
Lindsey Graham Wasn't Afraid to Fight for Immigration Reform
John Avlon
June 28, 2013
It serves the facts straight up; it is unvarnished, perhaps a little cold, and not very cheerful, but it is realistic.
The End of American Dominance in Robert Kaplan’s ‘The Revenge of Geography’
Ian Morris
September 14, 2012
And plenty of people speak of this immigration and its supposed dangers as if these were unvarnished, unquestionable truths.
The Irony of the Anti-Immigration Violence in Assam
Dilip D’Souza
August 20, 2012
I do not begrudge the journalist for pursuing the unvarnished truth, irrespective of political consequences.
In Defense of Israel Advocacy
David Bernstein
July 9, 2012

Historical Examples

The unvarnished fashions of New England honesty grated on his ear.
Hetty's Strange History
Anonymous
If there is one thing that I may claim to be above all others, it is ‘unvarnished’.
The Lady of the Basement Flat
Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
Neither of these versions, however, is a plain, unvarnished tale.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician
Frederick Niecks
He had told the unvarnished truth, but she interpreted it in her own way.
The Shadow of Victory
Myrtle Reed
This is truth, plain, unvarnished truth, just as the writer has found it.
Italian Highways and Byways from a Motor Car
Francis Miltoun

British Dictionary definitions for unvarnished

unvarnished

adjective

not elaborated upon or glossed; plain and directthe unvarnished truth

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 unvarnished

adj.

c.1600, of statements, "not embellished," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of varnish (v.). Literal sense of "not covered in varnish" is recorded from 1758.

unvarnished

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unvarnished

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for unvarnished

Contemporary Examples

Obama, of course, insisted he wanted their independent, unvarnished judgments.

Of all the Gang of Eight senators, he was the most unvarnished in his advocacy and he has the most to lose.

It serves the facts straight up; it is unvarnished, perhaps a little cold, and not very cheerful, but it is realistic.

And plenty of people speak of this immigration and its supposed dangers as if these were unvarnished, unquestionable truths.

I do not begrudge the journalist for pursuing the unvarnished truth, irrespective of political consequences.

Historical Examples

The unvarnished fashions of New England honesty grated on his ear.

If there is one thing that I may claim to be above all others, it is ‘unvarnished’.

Neither of these versions, however, is a plain, unvarnished tale.

He had told the unvarnished truth, but she interpreted it in her own way.

This is truth, plain, unvarnished truth, just as the writer has found it.

unvarnished

Word Origin and History for unvarnished

adj.

Origin of unvarnished