Dictionary

unassuming en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ʌnəˈsuːmɪŋ/
• /ʌnəˈsjuːmɪŋ/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English assuming English unassuming From un- + assuming.

Meanings

1. Modest and having no pretensions or ostentation.
   • The crews themselves throughout were an interesting study. The drivers, as older men, bore that air of quite unassuming competence, as British drivers have always done and which in any field has come to be regarded as characteristic of men bearing heavy responsibility to which at the same time they are equal. 1949 March and April, F. G. Roe, “I Saw Three Englands–2”, in Railway Magazine, page 84:
   • Various bridges were required, including a lofty one at Brantham, but money was saved by providing unassuming structures at the three intermediate stations. 1946 September and October, “Centenary of the Ipswich-Colchester Line”, in Railway Magazine, page 307:

Forms

Deriveds

unassumingness · unassumingly

Translations (34)

nl pretentieloos (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · bg скромен (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · hu diszkrét (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · hu igénytelen (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · fi vaatimaton (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · ru скро́мный (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · fr sans prétention (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · tr iddiasız (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · pl bezpretensjonalny (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · is lítillátur (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · mi whakamōwai (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · de anspruchslos (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · nl bescheiden (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · eo neafektema (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · tr alçakgönüllü (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · pl skromny (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · de unaufdringlich (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · de bescheiden (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · mi hūnguengue (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · bg непретенциозен (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · hu egyszerű (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · es modesto (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · tr mütevazı (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · de unprätentiös (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · la summissus (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · hu szerény (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · es non asumiente (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · sh skroman (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · es sencillo (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · es sin pretensiones (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · sv anspråkslös (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · hu visszafogott (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · tr gösterişsiz (modest with no pretensions or ostentation) · ru непритяза́тельный (modest with no pretensions or ostentation)