unflattering
- adjective
- /ʌnˈflætərɪŋ/
- The magazine displayed an unflattering image of the celebrity that highlighted her worst features.
- an unflattering image
- an unflattering profile
- in an unflattering light
And then things came out which were very unflattering to the Mao years.
- And then things came out which were very unflattering to the Mao years.
- So we've probably presented a pretty unflattering view of morality.
- That's all I know, but it's not unflattering on my bum.
- They use their convenient memory loss to paint you in an unflattering and invalidating manner.
- And then your sister pulls up the most grotesque, unflattering picture and your friends start laughing.
- The descriptions of Paris at that time are extremely unflattering.
- Now I'm really curious, so I hope you guys enjoyed this first impressions and me being kind of crazy and sharing some unflattering shots of me at the dentist.
- And C when the narcissistic person complaints or puts an unflattering lens on your desire to be recognized or seen, it's just them.
- All the things that I talked about there, the really, really difficult things that most people would consider unflattering.
Examples
-
But Greece is working hard to change this unflattering image.
Academic text (2004) -
Educators often find comparisons to business and industry unflattering and irrelevant.
Academic text (1999) -
The news media clearly paint an unflattering picture of music education.
Academic text (2011) -
The photograph was unflattering, but accurate.
-
They keep showing very unflattering pictures of you in the press.
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Sociologists place no judgment on these practices, but they do paint an unflattering social picture.
Academic text (2015) -
Libby had found ten yards of pink silk, very cheap, but unflattering to her complexion.
Fiction book (1994) -
Mira imagined the lifetime of unflattering comparisons such a circumstance would lead to.
Fiction book (1999) -
There appears to be an unspoken ethic that counsels against unflattering portrayals of chosen others.
Academic text (1991) -
If they'd purposely set out to choose unflattering garments, they couldn't have done a better job.
Blog text (24)
Synonyms
Not pleasant to look at or to the senses
Unpleasant to look at
Make someone or something look bad to other people
Saying bad things about someone or something
Not attractive or impressive to look at
Antonyms
How Flattering
Surface Forms
Morphology
unflattering = flattering (transparent) = un + flatter + ing
The meaning is directly derived by negating 'flattering' with the productive English prefix 'un-'.
Etymology
Unflattering is made from un- meaning 'not' and flatter meaning 'to praise or make someone look good', so an unflattering picture or comment is one that does 'not' make someone look attractive and often makes them look worse.