low-key
Americanadjective
-
of reduced intensity; restrained; understated.
Judicial elections used to be low-key affairs, attracting little campaign spending.
-
(of a photograph) having chiefly dark tones, usually with little tonal contrast (distinguished from high-key).
adverb
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
having a low intensity or tone
-
restrained, subdued, or understated
-
(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.
See Examples For:
Demonstrations, initially low-key in the main, began last year when undocumented foreign nationals were blocked from accessing clinics and hospitals.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
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
The manner of his exit was typical of the man; low-key, no fuss, no interviews as yet, no need in his mind to explain his thoughts any more than he already has.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
And the 32-year-old performed with the low-key confidence and charisma of an artist now completely comfortable on the world's biggest stages.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
We wind up with twenty-four kids, ages five to fourteen, and despite the low-key relational upheaval, it really is a lovely sight.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
“He was humble. You can see him praying. He’s low-keyed, peaceful. When he was praying, he was praying alone,” to the side of the small prayer group.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 22, 2022
Dershowitz said Cipollone “brings great judgment and lawyerly skills to the defense of President Trump. He’s very calibrated, very low-keyed and has excellent judgment. It’s exactly what’s needed.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 14, 2020
Atmosphere A low-ceilinged and low-keyed Brooklyn tavern with few overtly Mexican gestures apart from the culinary mural on the wall.
From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2018
Nevertheless, Harriott’s tone was more low-keyed than the one he’d adopted before the Booker T. game.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 1, 2017
As a conversationalist, he can be low-keyed to the point of dullness: speaking softly in a slow-paced, emotionless voice, he relies heavily on short sentences, long pauses, and an abundance of "ums" and "uhs."
From 100 New Yorkers of the 1970s by Millard, Max
But is this John holding his cards close to the vest or is Glover merely low-keying his way through this performance, as he's done in other shows?
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2024
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.
