low-key
Americanadjective
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of reduced intensity; restrained; understated.
Judicial elections used to be low-key affairs, attracting little campaign spending.
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(of a photograph) having chiefly dark tones, usually with little tonal contrast (distinguished from high-key).
adverb
verb (used with object)
adjective
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having a low intensity or tone
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restrained, subdued, or understated
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(of a photograph, painting, etc) having a predominance of dark grey tones or dark colours with few highlights Compare high-key
Usage
What else does low-key mean? Low-key can variously mean "quiet," "restrained," "moderate," or "easygoing." It can also behave as an adverb meaning "of low or moderate intensity." Like doing something, but in a "chill" way. For instance: We're having a party at my place but keeping it low-key so the neighbors don't complain.
Etymology
Origin of low-key
First recorded in 1890–95
Explanation
Something low-key is quiet or understated. A low-key wedding might be held in a friend's backyard, with a potluck reception — it's informal, small, and subdued. A person who's low-key is modest and soft spoken, and a low-key restaurant is comfortable and unpretentious. You might prefer your family's low-key way of celebrating birthdays (a cake and a few gifts) to the way your best friend's family does it (hiring caterers, clowns, magicians, and a band). Low-key can also mean "muted in color," like the low-key tones in your favorite painting.
Vocabulary lists containing low-key
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.
These are low-key affairs in someone’s home or a restaurant, not fancy parties or far-flung cruises.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
It also burnished the reputation of its low-key Northern Irish chief designer, 41, who was appointed almost exactly a year ago with the task of modernising all of Dior's fashion lines.
From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026
A low-key end to a desperately disappointing episode – for club and player.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
But outside of his low-key, three-fingered, 3-point celebration, the 29-year-old point guard is quiet and business-like.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Once a low-key summer resort, Nantucket is rapidly turning into their private preserve, joining the ranks of other enclaves like Palm Beach, Aspen, the Hamptons, and Sun Valley.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
