high key

¹

noun

Movies.

1. a style of lighting that is bright, even, and produces little contrast between light and dark areas of the scene.

high-key

²

[hahy-kee]

adjective

1. (of a photograph) having chiefly light tones, usually with little tonal contrast (low-key ).

high-key

adjective

1. (of a photograph, painting, etc) having a predominance of light grey tones or light colours Compare low-key

Word History and Origins

Origin of high-key¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Origin of high-key²

First recorded in 1915–20

When To Use

What else does high-key mean?

In slang, high-key is the opposite of the more commonplace low-key, or "secretive" or "restrained." So something high-key is "intense" and "out in the open." It's often used as an adverb for "very," "really," or "clearly."