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 of unvarnished

• simple
• plain
• unadorned
• naked

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

Taken together with Scorsese’s own unvarnished self-assessment, these conversations transcend Behind the Music clichés to create a portrait of the artist as a man whose path from brash enfant terrible to beloved eminence was paved with introspection. —Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025

This is how such unvarnished truth found its way to the people. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025

These dispatches claim to be an unvarnished look at some of the world’s most dangerous places. —Emma Green, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025

While their competitors in the East are reeling from bad breaks, the Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns All-Star pairing has unvarnished NBA Finals hopes. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 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