contrasty

American

[kuhn-tras-tee, kon-tras-] / kənˈtræs ti, ˈkɒn træs- /

adjective

Photography.

(of a subject, photograph, or film stock) having or producing a preponderance of dark and light tones with few intermediate shades.

contrasty British

/ kənˈtrɑːstɪ /

adjective

(of a photograph or subject) having sharp gradations in tone, esp between light and dark areas

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of contrasty

First recorded in 1890–95; contrast + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It handles contrasty light well, and the lens coating repels droplets when shooting in and near water.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2022

You may know that Samsung phones take super vivid photos or that Google Pixel phones take photos that are more contrasty and blue.

From The Verge • Sep. 21, 2021

Pascale Granel’s contrasty black and white super 16mm cinematography is a lush visual delight, the highlights sparkling against the blackest blacks.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2018

I found the film transfer a bit too contrasty for my tastes with too much grain.

From Washington Times • Mar. 17, 2015

Pictures flash in an increasingly contrasty and grainy format until they are hardly recognizable.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023