unvarnished

[uhn-vahr-nisht] / ʌnˈvɑr nɪʃt /

ADJECTIVE

plain, honest

Synonyms

STRONGEST

candid straightforward unadorned

WEAK

bare clean down and dirty folksy for real frank genuine homey naked open open and shut pure pure and simple simple sincere stark straight unconcealed undisguised undissembled unembellished vanilla

Antonyms

STRONGEST

deceitful devious

WEAK

dishonest falsified

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Not to mention, it was personally unpleasant for family members to read Ariane’s unvarnished thoughts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Perhaps we will have to wait for Sir Keir's inevitable post-premiership autobiography for the unvarnished truth.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

If you want to hear about the dirt and the lore and the legends, all of it is here, and it’s all pretty unvarnished.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

“The truth is laid bare in the complaint — unvarnished, unflinching, undeniable. We welcome our day in court.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

She bought him a smallish, unweighted wooden set that was housed in a sliding, unvarnished wooden box.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady