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• high key
  high key

  noun

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

  adjective

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

high key

¹ American  

noun

Movies.

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

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high-key ² American  

[hahy-kee] / ˈhaɪˈki /

adjective

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

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high-key British  

adjective

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

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Usage

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."

Etymology

Origin of high key¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Origin of high-key²

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high key high-key

The finished film premiered Saturday, and the first responses are just as high key, particularly when it comes to Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the Joker.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2019

But Han said the outcome showed that, tweets aside, Washington and Beijing wanted a peaceful resolution: “The U.S. turn from high key to low key helped in solving the problem smoothly.”

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2016

When it started again, it was out of tune and after the performance, Pharrell apologized to the crowd for playing in a high key.

From US News ● Feb. 8, 2015

Pictures of taxidermied animals, maybe with a high key voice-over.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2014

One was my Jonathan’s, raised in a high key of passion; the other Mr. Morris’ strong resolute tone of quiet command.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

It’s not surprising that our Revelry issue turned into a high-key music issue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

For that matter … how is a sex-reveal party, low-key or high-key, a way to celebrate your child?

From Slate ● Jan. 31, 2021

The actors in Sarah DeLappe’s Pulitzer-finalist play about a high-school girls soccer team are learning soccer moves that they'll have to replicate every performance, while also balancing dense overlapping dialogue and high-key emotions.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2018

There are a lot of the high-key neon colors of the film "Spring Breakers," often using the MacPaint style of Perez Hilton.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2014

Fourteen full-length feature films, ranging from the dinner-party angst of Shoot the Moon, to the high-key theatrics of Evita, to the blood-heat pyscho-noir of Angel Heart.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 24, 2013