unvarnishedness · noun — the quality of being unvarnished. It carries an Arena rating of 1109, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, unvarnishedness ranks #1,499 of 17,130 for Most Ponderous Words, #10,461 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #11,939 of 17,205 for The Improbable, #12,986 of 17,171 for Scariest Words.
Why “unvarnishedness” is a great word
The quality of being plain, straightforward, and without embellishment or concealment. From unvarnished (from the prefix un- ("not") + varnished ("coated or glossed over")) + the suffix -ness (forming abstract nouns denoting a state or quality). Unlike candor, which emphasizes frankness of speech, or artlessness, which suggests a natural, guileless simplicity, unvarnishedness is the inherent, neutral state of a thing stripped of finish. It is the raw pine before the stain, the witness statement before the lawyer's polish, the morning face in a merciless mirror—the quiet dignity of truth as a material fact, not a virtue.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From unvarnished + -ness.
noun
- The quality of being unvarnished.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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