Modest and genuine, with no effort to seem grander or more important.
Reach for it when Praising a person, place, or style for unaffected simplicity.
The unpretending guesthouse offered clean rooms, good bread, and local advice.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| formal | |
| literary |
|
everyday
plain
Fits when simplicity of appearance matters
Not when can sound critical rather than affectionate
everyday
Fits when the most direct modern equivalent
Not when can describe style without implying personal sincerity
warm
Fits when lack of self-display is the main praise
Not when may also suggest limited size or quality
warm
Fits when a person does not seek attention
Not when less natural for a building or meal
formal
unaffected
Fits when manner is free from artificial display
Not when can also mean unchanged by an event
unpretending manner
Her unpretending manner encouraged frank questions from apprentices.
unpretending charm
The cottage's unpretending charm came from well-used local stone.
quiet and unpretending
Their celebration was quiet and unpretending, but deeply joyful.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated
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