unflattering

adjective

un·​flat·​ter·​ing ˌən-ˈfla-tə-riŋ How to pronounce unflattering (audio)
: not flattering
an unflattering portrait
especially : unfavorable
unflattering remarks
unflatteringly adverb

Examples of unflattering in a Sentence

She was wearing the most unflattering outfit.
Recent Examples on the Web The story continued to snowball: Other celebrities came out of the woodwork to share unflattering anecdotes, and #ReplaceEllen trended on Twitter. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2024 But a cash shortage and a wave of unflattering headlines blunted his campaign. Will McDuffie, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2024 While The Sopranos perceptively presaged a bad end to the American Century, capturing an inchoate mood of decline more than two years before 9/11, The Penguin presents yet another unflattering portrait of a man whose archetype has haunted TV and film since his first presidential run. Judy Berman, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 Adoptees do not expect China to follow suit, given its habit of burying unflattering episodes from its past. Barbara Demick, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unflattering 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unflattering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unflattering was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near unflattering

Cite this Entry

“Unflattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unflattering. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

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