Standard Lemma guide

unvarnished

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N V AA1 R N IH0 SH T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not having been coated with varnish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • unvarnished furniture

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Natural, unmodified, unembellished, not exaggerated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively, not-comparable

Examples

  • She told the unvarnished truth.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plain, simple, austere, bare, chaste, inornate, modest, quiet, severe, spartan, unadorned, unembellished, unextravagant, unornamented, undecked, ungarnished, untrimmed, unvarnished

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

free from any effort to soften to disguise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the plain and unvarnished truth
  • the unvarnished candor of old people and children

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plain

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

not having a coating of stain or varnish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unstained

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English varnished English unvarnished From un- + varnished.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: unbehandelt — not having been coated with varnish
  • Manx: gyn follid — not having been coated with varnish
  • German: ungeschminkt — natural, unmodified, unembellished, not exaggerated
  • Manx: lhome — natural, unmodified, unembellished, not exaggerated
  • Swedish: osminkad — natural, unmodified, unembellished, not exaggerated