: the production or reproduction of audio characterized by an unpolished or rough sound quality
lo-fi adjective

Examples of lo-fi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nicki also performed a set of six songs in a new semi-acoustic, lo-fi format with the singer backed by a keyboard, drums and guitar, highlighting vocals that have become sultrier and broader ranging. Leila Cobo, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2024 The album’s lo-fi confessionals delve into heartbreak and childhood to tell the story of a life, pared back like field recordings retrieved from some ancient nomad dwelling. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2024 The lo-fi video approach to these interviews, which lack finesse and careful lighting setups, not only imbues with a sense of danger and immediacy, but draws the eye to digital artifacts. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024 Thanking You with all their post lo-fi Virgin records money and ragged glory in the mid-90s, before shoving your expectations down the toilet bowl, with career highlight and misunderstood masterpiece Sweet Sixteen in 1997. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 8 Feb. 2024 The tone is generally conversational, irreverent and even sassy, while leaning into the lo-fi confessional style embraced by many younger people on social media that puts a premium on authenticity and even vulnerability. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2024 At a time when the rap genre was moving toward a West Coast, Funkadelic sound, Wu-Tang introduced elements borrowed from martial arts movies—which grew in popularity in the 1970s—and infused them into their lo-fi sonic aesthetic and battle-tested image conception. Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Then, a snippet which pictured JT from behind the stage curtain, thanking an audience over the sound of an old school analogue drum machine and lo-fi organ, lifted from the video’s intro. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2024 For example, soothing music would start playing when the windshield wipers are turned on — in essence, matching inclement weather with lo-fi beats for driving. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lo-fi.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

low fidelity

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lo-fi was in 1957

Dictionary Entries Near lo-fi

Cite this Entry

“Lo-fi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lo-fi. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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