variants
or less commonly low-keyed
1
: having or producing dark tones only with little contrast
2
: of low intensity : restrained
1
informal
: in a way or to a degree that is moderate or limited
It didn't take long for all of us to become low-key [=somewhat] obsessed with Lizzo …—
Abi Travis
Abi TravisEverywhere we go, we're low-key [=casually] checking out coffee shops, parks, and window seats for maximum reading coziness.—Charlotte Ahlin
Charlotte AhlinWe asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which products have low-key changed their lives.—Samantha Wieder
Samantha WiederFirst things first: for what it's worth, I low-key think Jake Gyllenhaal is the best actor of his generation.—Eric Ital
Eric Ital2
informal
: without seeking or receiving much attention or recognition
Nordstrom low-key announced the sale with little fanfare …—Danielle Gonzalez
Danielle GonzalezThe 21-year-old model and 24-year-old musician surprised everyone when they low-key stepped into a New York City courthouse to make it official …—Jamie Leelo
Jamie Leelo… is low-key getting some of the best and most underrated lines in these episodes …—Kase Wickman
Kase WickmanShe was low-key the best player on that season …—Leigh Oleszczak
Leigh OleszczakSynonyms
Examples of low-key in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLucrezia Malavolta, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2024
Kors himself joined the actress on the red carpet in a classic, low-key tuxedo, allowing Zendaya all the spotlight for this foxy moment.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024
The Friday Night Lights star and his wife of nearly 30 years prefer to keep their relationship low-key.
—Kara Nesvig, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
South Carolina: Hilton Head Island Bike Trails Wide beaches may be a big draw, but Hilton Head locals and vacationers alike praise the island's bike trail system for low-key cruising (and for bypassing road traffic, which can be intense).
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
Montauk feels more remote and low-key than its luxurious, sceney Hamptons counterparts.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2024
Blackburn says, emphasizing the refreshing change of pace that low-key, mellow-yet-lively chess meetups offer versus the loud music and social pressure of being at L.A. bars and nightclubs.
—Martine Thompson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Sunken Harbor’s nautical theme and far more low-key clientele quickly warmed our bitter hearts as we were presented with the Immortal Martini.
—Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Eschewing the polish of pleating or tailoring, these pants are meant for going low-key; keep things simple with a graphic tee and summer sneakers or sandals.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 22 Apr. 2024
Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 29 Mar. 2023
For a low-key version, buy your own karaoke machine for home.
—Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 29 Mar. 2023
More chefs will get out of the hamster wheel of costly meal creation and will set up shop in smaller, more low-key places.
—Dana McMahan, The Courier-Journal, 28 Mar. 2023
Some may be cash only, others may be open 24 hours, great for a low-key breakfast after a long night out.
—Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2023
The Secret: Dare to Dream star shared a few snaps of the low-key festivities on Instagram, which included crafts and a flower crown for the birthday girl.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2023
Less bells-and-whistles logos and prints, more blow-the-budget, low-key-but-lustworthy Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, and The Row.
—Laura Hawkins, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2023
Baggy jeans, oversized coats, and sneakers seem to be the actor's relatable go-tos, and her glam is always refreshingly low-key.
—Amanda Curran, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2023
As the drama dies down from TikTok's dissection of Hailey Bieber's history with Selena Gomez, Hailey gave another public, low-key show of support for Selena.
—Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 27 Mar. 2023
Adjective
For minimalists who prefer to swerve nail art and decals in favor of something a little more low-key, these soft shades–best applied to short, neat nails–are bound to appeal.
—Lucrezia Malavolta, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2024
Kors himself joined the actress on the red carpet in a classic, low-key tuxedo, allowing Zendaya all the spotlight for this foxy moment.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024
The Friday Night Lights star and his wife of nearly 30 years prefer to keep their relationship low-key.
—Kara Nesvig, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2024
South Carolina: Hilton Head Island Bike Trails Wide beaches may be a big draw, but Hilton Head locals and vacationers alike praise the island's bike trail system for low-key cruising (and for bypassing road traffic, which can be intense).
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
Montauk feels more remote and low-key than its luxurious, sceney Hamptons counterparts.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2024
Blackburn says, emphasizing the refreshing change of pace that low-key, mellow-yet-lively chess meetups offer versus the loud music and social pressure of being at L.A. bars and nightclubs.
—Martine Thompson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Sunken Harbor’s nautical theme and far more low-key clientele quickly warmed our bitter hearts as we were presented with the Immortal Martini.
—Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Eschewing the polish of pleating or tailoring, these pants are meant for going low-key; keep things simple with a graphic tee and summer sneakers or sandals.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 22 Apr. 2024
Adverb
According to the interview, Emma is still keeping things low-key in her personal life.
—Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 29 Mar. 2023
For a low-key version, buy your own karaoke machine for home.
—Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 29 Mar. 2023
More chefs will get out of the hamster wheel of costly meal creation and will set up shop in smaller, more low-key places.
—Dana McMahan, The Courier-Journal, 28 Mar. 2023
Some may be cash only, others may be open 24 hours, great for a low-key breakfast after a long night out.
—Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2023
The Secret: Dare to Dream star shared a few snaps of the low-key festivities on Instagram, which included crafts and a flower crown for the birthday girl.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2023
Less bells-and-whistles logos and prints, more blow-the-budget, low-key-but-lustworthy Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, and The Row.
—Laura Hawkins, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2023
Baggy jeans, oversized coats, and sneakers seem to be the actor's relatable go-tos, and her glam is always refreshingly low-key.
—Amanda Curran, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2023
As the drama dies down from TikTok's dissection of Hailey Bieber's history with Selena Gomez, Hailey gave another public, low-key show of support for Selena.
—Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 27 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'low-key.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Low-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/low-key. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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