unvarnished.

1. Not coated with varnish.

2. Plainly stated without flattering, softening or decorative additions.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• unvarnished wood
• unvarnished surface

On the page

The unvarnished wood absorbed the spill along its exposed grain.

The frame retained an unvarnished surface beneath the later paint.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Comparative more unvarnished; superlative most unvarnished where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: clarity and ornament, narrative perspective, style analysis. Disciplines: literary writing, narrative analysis, advanced English. Commonness: moderately common.