Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
unvarnished account

unvarnished account

5.5
A clear honest description that shows facts without hiding them
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈvɑrnɪʃt əˈkaʊnt/
translation icon : relato sincero
  • The witness delivered an unvarnished account of what happened that night.

Examples

  • Readers appreciated the reporter's unvarnished account of the disaster, free from sensationalism.

  • She gave an unvarnished account of the challenges she faced when starting her business.

  • He preferred to hear an unvarnished account rather than a sugar-coated version of the truth.

  • He gave an unvarnished account of the events.

  • Sarah's unvarnished account was refreshing.

  • The journalist reported the unvarnished account of the town's struggles during the flood.

  • His book presents an unvarnished account of life in the military, with all its difficulties.

Antonyms

misrepresentation
25 7.5

A statement that gives false information about something

How Honest

unvarnished account
5.5

Surface Forms

unvarnished account singular
unvarnished accounts plural

Morphology

unvarnished + account

The phrase is a straightforward adjectival modification: 'unvarnished' (not embellished or softened) applied to 'account' (a description) yields the meaning 'an honest, plain description.' This compositional pattern follows regular English semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase unvarnished account comes from furniture work: unvarnished literally means without a shiny coat called a varnish, and account means a report. So an unvarnished account shows the facts plainly and not 'covered up', meaning 'honest' and 'straightforward'.