See low-key on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
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"2": "low",
"3": "key"
},
"expansion": "low + key",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From low + key.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more low-key",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most low-key",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
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"senses": [
{
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{
"word": "high-key"
}
],
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{
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"name": "Art",
"orig": "en:Art",
"parents": [
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"Society",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "topical",
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"Human activity",
"Media",
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"Human behaviour",
"Communication",
"Society",
"Human",
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"Fundamental"
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"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Coordinate term: mid-key"
},
{
"ref": "1942 November, Victor Keppler, “Key to Good Pictures”, in Popular Photography, →ISSN, page 98:",
"text": "The classic example of low key photography is a black cat in a coal cellar. […] The most popular use of low-key photography is in making portraits of celebrities or theatrical personalities. These people demand either dignity or drama, and this type of lightning is appropriate for both.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Dark; characterized by dark tones and muted colors."
],
"id": "en-low-key-en-adj-3ZeK0Egn",
"links": [
[
"art",
"art#Noun"
],
[
"photography",
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[
"Dark",
"dark"
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],
"raw_glosses": [
"(art, photography) Dark; characterized by dark tones and muted colors."
],
"topics": [
"art",
"arts",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"photography"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "93 7",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "characterised by dark tones and muted colours",
"word": "gedämpft"
},
{
"_dis1": "93 7",
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "characterised by dark tones and muted colours",
"word": "íosghile"
}
]
},
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "gaudy"
}
],
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 40 9 20",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "27 54 1 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "35 45 2 18",
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{
"_dis": "30 50 2 18",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "34 46 10 11",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "28 48 11 12",
"kind": "other",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "25 57 3 15",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "29 40 20 11",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Irish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "28 48 11 12",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "She deserves an Oscar for her low-key performance in that movie.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1984 November 18, Patricia Brooks, “Specials Best at Low-Key Spot”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
"text": "For a low-key, somewhat predictable meal, dinner at Basem's offers good value.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2017 November 14, Phil McNulty, “England 0-0 Brazil”, in BBC News:",
"text": "From the Samba band and colourfully-clad dancers that made a lap of Wembley before kick-off - even prompting some neat moves from one or two Brazilian journalists - to the roars of delight every time Neymar got on the ball, it was still a night that contained entertainment despite the increasingly low-key fare on the pitch.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2023 October 18, Chris Howe, “Network News: Headbolt Lane station opens on Merseyrail”, in RAIL, number 994, page 22:",
"text": "The relatively low-key opening was attended by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, who declared \"We have a brand-new station serviced with brand-new lines and new publicly owned trains.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Restrained, subtle, not trying to attract attention."
],
"id": "en-low-key-en-adj-sV2SNMGv",
"links": [
[
"Restrained",
"restrain"
],
[
"subtle",
"subtle"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(by extension) Restrained, subtle, not trying to attract attention."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
"word": "lowkey"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
"word": "low key"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
"word": "lowk"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
"word": "LWK"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
"word": "lwk"
}
],
"tags": [
"broadly"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "skromen",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "скромен"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "vǎzdǎržan",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "въздържан"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "hillitty"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "pidättyvä"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "maßvoll"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "zurückhaltend"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "vózdržan",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "во́здржан"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "zdŕžan",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "здр́жан"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 98",
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "skrómen",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "скро́мен"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈləʊki/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌləʊˈkiː/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊki/",
"note": "occasionally",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-au-low-key.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg/En-au-low-key.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg"
},
{
"homophone": "Loki stripped-by-parse_pron_post_template_fn"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊki"
}
],
"word": "low-key"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "low",
"3": "key"
},
"expansion": "low + key",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From low + key.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more low-key",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most low-key",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
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{
"args": {},
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],
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"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "American English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Canadian English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2015, Lady Onyxx, Started From The Top Now I'm Here 3, page 81:",
"text": "I'm low key salty about the way that nigga did you but it seems like he still cares about you.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2018, Rachel Vincent, Strange New World:",
"text": "Before I open the messages, I disable the activity notification so no one will know I'm low-key obsessed with a party I didn't get to attend.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Kind of."
],
"id": "en-low-key-en-adv-f30mnp9I",
"links": [
[
"Canada",
"Canada"
],
[
"US",
"American English"
],
[
"Kind of",
"kind of"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly Canada, US, colloquial) Kind of."
],
"tags": [
"Canada",
"US",
"colloquial"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"In a low-key or surreptitious manner; secretively; understatedly; on the down-low."
],
"id": "en-low-key-en-adv-ExMOrkMi",
"links": [
[
"surreptitious",
"surreptitious"
],
[
"secretively",
"secretively"
],
[
"understatedly",
"understatedly"
],
[
"on the down-low",
"on the down-low"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(slang) In a low-key or surreptitious manner; secretively; understatedly; on the down-low."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "furtively"
}
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈləʊki/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌləʊˈkiː/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊki/",
"note": "occasionally",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-au-low-key.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg/En-au-low-key.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg"
},
{
"homophone": "Loki stripped-by-parse_pron_post_template_fn"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊki"
}
],
"word": "low-key"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English compound terms",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English terms with homophones",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/əʊki",
"Rhymes:English/əʊki/2 syllables",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Irish translations",
"Terms with Macedonian translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "low",
"3": "key"
},
"expansion": "low + key",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From low + key.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more low-key",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most low-key",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
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{
"args": {},
"expansion": "low-key (comparative more low-key, superlative most low-key)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "high-key"
}
],
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Art",
"en:Photography"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Coordinate term: mid-key"
},
{
"ref": "1942 November, Victor Keppler, “Key to Good Pictures”, in Popular Photography, →ISSN, page 98:",
"text": "The classic example of low key photography is a black cat in a coal cellar. […] The most popular use of low-key photography is in making portraits of celebrities or theatrical personalities. These people demand either dignity or drama, and this type of lightning is appropriate for both.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Dark; characterized by dark tones and muted colors."
],
"links": [
[
"art",
"art#Noun"
],
[
"photography",
"photography"
],
[
"Dark",
"dark"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(art, photography) Dark; characterized by dark tones and muted colors."
],
"topics": [
"art",
"arts",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"photography"
]
},
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "gaudy"
}
],
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "She deserves an Oscar for her low-key performance in that movie.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1984 November 18, Patricia Brooks, “Specials Best at Low-Key Spot”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
"text": "For a low-key, somewhat predictable meal, dinner at Basem's offers good value.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2017 November 14, Phil McNulty, “England 0-0 Brazil”, in BBC News:",
"text": "From the Samba band and colourfully-clad dancers that made a lap of Wembley before kick-off - even prompting some neat moves from one or two Brazilian journalists - to the roars of delight every time Neymar got on the ball, it was still a night that contained entertainment despite the increasingly low-key fare on the pitch.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2023 October 18, Chris Howe, “Network News: Headbolt Lane station opens on Merseyrail”, in RAIL, number 994, page 22:",
"text": "The relatively low-key opening was attended by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, who declared \"We have a brand-new station serviced with brand-new lines and new publicly owned trains.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Restrained, subtle, not trying to attract attention."
],
"links": [
[
"Restrained",
"restrain"
],
[
"subtle",
"subtle"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(by extension) Restrained, subtle, not trying to attract attention."
],
"tags": [
"broadly"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈləʊki/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌləʊˈkiː/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊki/",
"note": "occasionally",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-au-low-key.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg/En-au-low-key.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg"
},
{
"homophone": "Loki stripped-by-parse_pron_post_template_fn"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊki"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "lowkey"
},
{
"word": "low key"
},
{
"word": "lowk"
},
{
"word": "LWK"
},
{
"word": "lwk"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "characterised by dark tones and muted colours",
"word": "gedämpft"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "characterised by dark tones and muted colours",
"word": "íosghile"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "skromen",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "скромен"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "vǎzdǎržan",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "въздържан"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "hillitty"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "pidättyvä"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "maßvoll"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "zurückhaltend"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "vózdržan",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "во́здржан"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "zdŕžan",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "здр́жан"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "skrómen",
"sense": "Restrained, subtle",
"word": "скро́мен"
}
],
"word": "low-key"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English compound terms",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English terms with homophones",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/əʊki",
"Rhymes:English/əʊki/2 syllables",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Irish translations",
"Terms with Macedonian translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "low",
"3": "key"
},
"expansion": "low + key",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From low + key.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more low-key",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most low-key",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "low-key (comparative more low-key, superlative most low-key)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"American English",
"Canadian English",
"English colloquialisms",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2015, Lady Onyxx, Started From The Top Now I'm Here 3, page 81:",
"text": "I'm low key salty about the way that nigga did you but it seems like he still cares about you.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2018, Rachel Vincent, Strange New World:",
"text": "Before I open the messages, I disable the activity notification so no one will know I'm low-key obsessed with a party I didn't get to attend.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Kind of."
],
"links": [
[
"Canada",
"Canada"
],
[
"US",
"American English"
],
[
"Kind of",
"kind of"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly Canada, US, colloquial) Kind of."
],
"tags": [
"Canada",
"US",
"colloquial"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English slang"
],
"glosses": [
"In a low-key or surreptitious manner; secretively; understatedly; on the down-low."
],
"links": [
[
"surreptitious",
"surreptitious"
],
[
"secretively",
"secretively"
],
[
"understatedly",
"understatedly"
],
[
"on the down-low",
"on the down-low"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(slang) In a low-key or surreptitious manner; secretively; understatedly; on the down-low."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "furtively"
}
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈləʊki/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌləʊˈkiː/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˌloʊˈki/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈloʊki/",
"note": "occasionally",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-au-low-key.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg/En-au-low-key.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/En-au-low-key.ogg"
},
{
"homophone": "Loki stripped-by-parse_pron_post_template_fn"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊki"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "lowkey"
},
{
"word": "low key"
},
{
"word": "lowk"
},
{
"word": "LWK"
},
{
"word": "lwk"
}
],
"word": "low-key"
}
Download raw JSONL data for low-key meaning in All languages combined (7.9kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.