unvarnished honesty
1
5.5
- noun
- /ʌnˈvɑrnɪʃt ˈɑnəsti/
- Instead of sugarcoating the news, she delivered it with unvarnished honesty.
Examples
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The journalist was admired for his unvarnished honesty in reporting difficult truths.
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I appreciate your unvarnished honesty about the situation.
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Her unvarnished honesty can be refreshing, but sometimes it catches people off guard.
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Her unvarnished honesty surprised everyone at the meeting.
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Instead of sugarcoating the news, she delivered it with unvarnished honesty.
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The journalist was admired for his unvarnished honesty in reporting difficult truths.
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I appreciate your unvarnished honesty about the situation.
Synonyms
329
1.0
Being truthful and fair in what you say and do
65
3.1
A feeling of being honest and not pretending
43
5.7
Being open and honest when talking or behaving
14
2.7
Being honest and not telling lies
7
3.4
Honest, clear words and actions that say exactly what you mean
7
3.5
Open and honest talk that says exactly what you think
7
4.8
A direct and honest way of speaking that can seem rude
6
4.1
Openly honest and saying facts people hide
2
6.3
Saying your thoughts and feelings freely, often in a direct way
2
6.6
A way of speaking that is honest and direct
1
5.0
Being direct and honest without hiding what you think
1
5.1
An honest and open way of speaking or acting
1
3.9
Saying the truth in a direct way that may hurt people
1
6.5
Speaking directly and honestly without hiding the truth
1
4.8
Being truthful and fair in what you say and do
1
7.0
Being direct and honest in a friendly, warm way
1
6.7
An open and direct way of speaking or acting
To be direct and blunt when saying the truth
A statement that tells the whole truth without softening it
Antonyms
How Honest
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'honesty that is direct and unembellished' is compositionally derived from 'unvarnished' (without embellishment) modifying 'honesty' (truthfulness). This adjective+noun pattern follows normal English semantics and similar plain/straightforward constructions exist cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Unvarnished honesty comes from the image of wood or furniture with no varnish: varnish is a shiny coat that covers and smooths things, so unvarnished means without that cover. So unvarnished honesty means telling the truth in a 'plain' and 'direct' way, without hiding or softening it.