Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Acknowledging few or no good aspects; unfavorable.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not flattering, in any sense.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not flattering.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective showing or representing unfavorably

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Make sure most of it comes in unflattering colours and atrocious prints you wouldn't have on the couch in your Aunt Ethel's rec room.

    Evil Designer Genius 101 kittenpie 2008

  • Make sure most of it comes in unflattering colours and atrocious prints you wouldn't have on the couch in your Aunt Ethel's rec room.

    Archive 2008-02-01 kittenpie 2008

  • Robespierre, who, when accused by Louvet of having instigated the violence, was defended (though in unflattering terms) by Barère.

    Annotations 2007

  • Given a couple of threads at this site which described evangelicals in unflattering terms, I asked the question whether the posters weren't dem moles and whether they weren't doing a good job of suppressing a key constituent vote.

    Sound Politics: I think that about sums it up 2006

  • You say liberals paint conservatives in unflattering colors?

    Think Progress » Samuel Alito’s America 2005

  • Unsurprisingly, they declined to put their names on the record, but that’s utterly standard for people who are speaking in unflattering terms about people they worked with or for.

    Balloon Juice » 2009 » May 2009

  • He’s drinking alone, and he’s so far gone that he doesn’t even care that he’s being photographed in unflattering lighting. vespabelle

    When you booze you lose « Awful Library Books 2010

  • The film apparently "slams both prejudice and political correctness" and his character, Walt Kowalski, is described as unflattering and potentially controversial.

    So Clint Eastwood is a Racist (in Gran Torino) After All? « FirstShowing.net 2008

  • And, yes, Zierlien acknowledges the irony that, after working for a station that coined an unflattering slogan for corporate radio stations, he's going to be working for one again.

    chron.com Chronicle 2011

  • Obama needs to define McCain in terms unflattering and uncongenial to enough people to warrant McCain's rejection as our next President.

    ShrinkWrapped 2008

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