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 OleszczakExamples of low-key in a Sentence
Adjective
hoping to make a good impression, he deliberately chose a low-key tie with a subtle pattern
Recent Examples on the Web
Olivia Allen, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2025
And Hutcherson’s charmingly low-key Dylan serves as a foil to the others, a reminder that even in LA some young adults prefer curling up with a Ken Burns documentary to partying with celebs.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
Leave it to 5 Seconds of Summer to pull up to a casual lunch with Billboard at West Hollywood’s century-old low-key favorite restaurant Barney’s Beanery in a white stretch limo to flex their pop star muscle.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for low-key
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Adjective
Like so many of our favorite celeb couples, Fahy and Woodall have kept pretty low-key with the whole relationship thing, but allegedly have been dating since 2022.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2025
And Hutcherson’s charmingly low-key Dylan serves as a foil to the others, a reminder that even in LA some young adults prefer curling up with a Ken Burns documentary to partying with celebs.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Opt for a luxe, glitzy resort or book a stay in a low-key Alpine village?
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
Leave it to 5 Seconds of Summer to pull up to a casual lunch with Billboard at West Hollywood’s century-old low-key favorite restaurant Barney’s Beanery in a white stretch limo to flex their pop star muscle.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for low-key
Cite this Entry
“Low-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/low-key. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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