unvarnished

un·var·nished | \ ˌən-ˈvär-nisht

How to pronounce unvarnished (audio)

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Definition of unvarnished

1a : 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

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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 Tosta’s unvarnished honesty — and responsible-for-3-p.m. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "Party Of Five’s Emily Tosta Came To America Undocumented. Now She’s On Billboards," 8 Jan. 2020 He is also inspired by Joan Didion’s new journalism, with its emphasis on an unvarnished examination of the writer herself as well as the subject of the writing. — Kenneth W. Mack, Washington Post, "A black writer on individualism, identity and indifference in Trump’s America," 19 Dec. 2019 There is a lot of material out there for Hollywood to tell the unvarnished truth and to humanize the experience of African-Americans. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "The True Story Behind the Harriet Tubman Movie," 30 Oct. 2019 When the Marlins get serious about acquiring a player — in the draft, international market or via trade — Masse will likely be sent to eyeball him and deliver unvarnished assessment. — Dom Amore, courant.com, "Dom Amore: Manchester’s Bill Masse takes his baseball life’s lessons to Miami to work for old teammate Derek Jeter," 28 Oct. 2019 Banderas's performance is so towering, so finely shaded yet thrillingly unvarnished, that the film feels at many a moment ready to burst with all the raw feeling bottled up inside it. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "What to Watch This Weekend In Theaters and On Demand, From ‘Joker’ to ‘Low Tide’," 4 Oct. 2019 The potent mix of wistful nostalgia, unvarnished sentimentality and daydreamy optimism articulated the hopes and anxieties of war-weary soldiers and citizens alike. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE.com, "Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas': The Poignant Story Behind the Enduring Holiday Classic," 22 Nov. 2019 Brace for lengthy delays Travelers can't stand travel industry deception Travelers want the unvarnished truth. — Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, "Travel annoyances abound in the air and on the ground. Here's how to fix a few of them," 1 Nov. 2019 All but the most committed Trump haters have grown tired of the spurious investigation and its unvarnished bias against the president. — Conrad Black, National Review, "The Impeachment Farce Limps Along to Its Anticlimax," 30 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unvarnished.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

13 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Unvarnished.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unvarnished. Accessed 22 January 2020.

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