unpretentious

IPA/ˌʌnprɪˈtenʃəs/
KK[ˌʌnpritˈɛnʃəs]IPA/ˌʌnprɪˈtenʃəs/

unpretentious — 形容詞

  • unpretentiouspositive
  • more unpretentiouscomparative
  • most unpretentioussuperlative

1. behaving in a natural, honest way and not trying to make yourself seem more impo

1.形容詞B2
釋義

樸實

不刻意炫耀或裝飾自己的重要性

behaving in a natural, honest way and not trying to make yourself seem more important, clever, or impressive than you actually are

例句

The famous actor chose a small, unpretentious restaurant near his childhood home for the reunion.

那位知名演員選了一家樸實的小餐館，就在他童年住家附近，舉辦同學會。

unpretentious + restaurant/place — describing a modest venue

Dr. Kemi Okafor's unpretentious manner makes her popular — she never talks down to anyone.

Kemi Okafor 博士樸實的態度讓她很受歡迎，她從不以高高在上的語氣跟人說話。

unpretentious + manner/attitude — describing personal style

同義詞
  • modest

    focuses on not boasting about achievements or wealth; can apply to a person or their lifestyle

  • humble

    suggests low social position or a conscious attitude of not considering oneself superior; often carries a moral or religious tone

  • unassuming

    emphasises not drawing attention to oneself; mostly used for people's personalities

  • simple

    broader in meaning — can describe anything plain or uncomplicated; does not carry the same positive judgment about sincerity

反義詞
  • pretentious

    the direct opposite; trying to appear more important or impressive than one really is

  • ostentatious

    deliberately showy and designed to impress people with wealth or style

  • affected

    behaving in an artificial way to impress others

文法句型

unpretentious + noun

be + unpretentious

用法筆記

Commonly applied to people, places, events, and creative works to highlight a deliberate lack of showiness. Always carries a positive or admiring tone.

常見錯誤

❌The hotel room was very unpretentious — the paint was peeling and the bed was broken.
✅The hotel room was simple and clean but unpretentious
💡no fancy decorations, just what you needed.' — 'unpretentious' is always positive; use 'shabby' or 'rundown' for negative descriptions of poor quality.
❌She wore an unpretentious diamond necklace worth millions.
✅She wore an unpretentious silver necklace with no jewels.
💡Something that is extremely expensive or flashy cannot be described as unpretentious, even if it is understated in style.