Unflattering means making someone look worse than they really are, or showing them in a bad light. It is used two ways.

Unflattering meansunflattering 的意思是 making someone look worse than they really are讓某人看起來比實際上差, or showing them in a bad light或是把他呈現得不好看。 It is used two ways它有兩種用法。

First, about pictures, clothes, lighting, camera angles: an unflattering photo is one where you look tired, heavy, or strange — everyone has a few, and everyone hates them. An unflattering colour is one that makes your skin look dull.

First, about pictures, clothes, lighting, camera angles第一種是用在照片、衣服、燈光、拍攝角度上: an unflattering photo is one where you look tired, heavy, or strangean unflattering photo 就是那種讓你看起來很累、很胖，或很怪的照片 — everyone has a few, and everyone hates them每個人都有幾張這種照片，而且都很討厭它們。 An unflattering colour is one thatan unflattering colour 就是那種顏色 makes your skin look dull會讓你的皮膚看起來暗沉。

Second, about words: an unflattering description, an unflattering comparison, an unflattering portrait of the president. Here it means the words show someone's faults rather than their good side.

Second, about words第二種是用在文字上: an unflattering description像 an unflattering description（不討喜的描述）, an unflattering comparison、an unflattering comparison（不利的比較）, an unflattering portrait of the president、an unflattering portrait of the president（把總統寫得很不好看的描寫）。 Here it means the words show someone's faults這裡的意思是這些文字呈現出某人的缺點 rather than their good side而不是他好的一面。

The useful thing is what the word quietly suggests. 'Unflattering' does not say the picture or the description is false — often it is painfully true. It says only that it is not kind, that it does not do the person any favours. That is why journalists like it: they can report an unflattering account of a politician without claiming it is a lie.

The useful thing is what the word quietly suggests這個字真正有用的地方，是它悄悄暗示的東西。 'Unflattering' does not say the picture or the description is false'unflattering' 並不是說照片或描述是假的 — often it is painfully true常常反而是殘酷地真實。 It says only that it is not kind它只是說這樣不夠厚道, that it does not do the person any favours對當事人沒有加分。 That is why journalists like it這就是為什麼記者喜歡用這個字: they can report an unflattering account of a politician他們可以報導一則對某政治人物不利的描述 without claiming it is a lie卻不用宣稱那是謊言。

It is a mild, polite word, common in ordinary speech and in writing. Saying 'that's an unflattering photo of me' is softer and more natural than 'that photo makes me look ugly'.

It is a mild, polite word這是個語氣溫和、有禮貌的字, common in ordinary speech and in writing在日常口語和書面語裡都很常見。 Saying 'that's an unflattering photo of me'說「that's an unflattering photo of me」（這張照片拍得不好看） is softer and more natural than比 'that photo makes me look ugly'「that photo makes me look ugly」（這張照片讓我看起來很醜）更委婉、更自然。