lo-fi

American  

[loh-fahy] / ˈloʊˌfaɪ /

adjective

1. Electronics, Music. of or relating to simple, low-quality, or imperfect sound reproduction, especially as a deliberate style of recording music; low fidelity.

2. lacking technical or technological sophistication, especially by design.

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noun

1. Electronics, Music. sound reproduction that is simple, low-quality, or imperfect as compared to hi-fi, especially as characteristic of a deliberately unpolished genre of music; low fidelity.

lo-fi British  

/ ˈləʊˈfaɪ /

adjective

1. informal (of sound reproduction) of or giving an impression of poor quality

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Other Word Forms

• ultra-lo-fi
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of lo-fi

C20: modelled on _hi-fi

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lo-fi

All are what you might call lo-fi or DIY indie musicals: little to nothing in the way of fancy costumes, choreographed dances, glamor, splash, fantasy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

He found the answer through lo-fi, experimental albums like McCartney and McCartney II, and the jet-stream rock of his 1970s band Wings.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

“There was a lo-fi quality about it. It had something candid that didn’t necessarily have an infantile tone but had a lightness. And we could add lyrics to that music.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025

On “Elka,” Tortoise turns to the 4/4 pulse of minimal techno, capturing the lo-fi static of Detroit acts like Drexciya, who fashioned earth-shaking dance tracks from modest equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

The result is 1982’s “Nebraska,” the acoustic, lo-fi, homespun record that established Springsteen as an artist for the ages.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2025