Thesaurus
key
Synonyms and Antonyms of key
1 coming before all others in importance maintains that Sir Isaac Newton remains the key figure in physical science Synonyms arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, foremost, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supremeRelated Words distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNear Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiaryAntonyms last, least
2 of the greatest possible importance first—and this is key—I wasn't even there that evening Synonyms critical, crucial, pivotal, vitalRelated Words decisive, life-and-death (also life-or-death), weighty; basic, elementary, fundamental; essential, indispensable, necessary, requisite; pressing, urgentNear Antonyms inconsequential, insignificant, minor, trivial, unimportant
Explore M-W
key
Synonyms and Antonyms of key
1 an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart in order to know what those dotted lines represent, you'll need to look at the key Synonyms legendRelated Words scale; caption; guide, table
2 something that allows someone to achieve a desired goal a good education is the key to success Synonyms gateway, passport, open sesame, secret, ticketRelated Words password; accomplishment, achievement, attainment, coup, success, triumph; approach, manner, means, method, style, system, technique, way; blueprint, design, ground plan, plan, program, scheme, strategy
3 the means or right of entering or participating in he had found the key to her heart Synonyms access, accession, admission, admittance, door, doorway, entrée (or entree), entry, gateway, ingress, entrance, passport, ticketRelated Words approval, authorization, certification, permission, qualification; open door, welcome matNear Antonyms discharge, dismissal, ejection, expulsion, ouster, rejection, removal
key
Synonyms and Antonyms of key
to bring to a state free of conflicts, inconsistencies, or differences her response was perfectly keyed to the situation Synonyms accommodate, attune, conciliate, conform, coordinate, harmonize, reconcileRelated Words adapt, tune; blend, combine, connect, correlate, dovetail, fit, fuse, integrate, join, match, merge, orchestrate, pair, square, suit, synchronize, synthesize, unify, unite; align (also aline), arrange, array, balance, equalize, even, order, proportion, regularize, standardizeNear Antonyms confuse, disarray, disorder, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, skew, upset; alienate, estrangeAntonyms disharmonize
Learn More about key
-
Dictionary: Definition of key Spanish Central: Translation of key Nglish: Translation of key for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of key for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about key
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up key? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!