How to pronounce low-key?
How to say low-key in sign language?
How to use low-key in a sentence?
-
Sam Singer:
The more they say, the more liability they could potentially create for themselves, they are low key, contrite and helpful.
-
Vivian Deuschl:
It’s a whole new world in terms of how the inauguration is being celebrated, it’s much more low-key.
-
Tawny Kitaen:
At first, we’d be very low-key about it. Knowing people were always watching, we’d be on the lot and say, ‘Hello, how are you doing today?’ That sort of thing.’.
-
Emily Maw:
Cedric Willis was a very low-key guy dealing with an awful lot : the unimaginable wrong and pain Cedric Willis suffered and the difficulty of being a black man in Jackson, Mississippi.
-
Milwaukee Brewers:
Potential repercussions extend beyond any player seeking a thirst-quencher to his family, teammates, opponents and even the sports ability to continue. Part of the motivation for good behavior might be the same thing that drives most things in baseball wins and losses. The defending NL East champion Braves were rocked at the start of camp by the positive tests. Their setback underscored the new weight of the annual preseason mantra, If we can stay healthy…. I think we all recognize that the team that is hit the least hard by the virus, thats able to keep themselves healthy out there, is going to have the best chance to compete, Houston Astros James Click Click said. For a major leaguer, its counterintuitive : Avoid crowds. Teamwork can help players adopt an appropriately low-key lifestyle. I just make Christian Yelich get me everything, man.
Translation
Find a translation for the low-key synonym in other languages:
Select another language:
- — Select —
- 简体中文 (Chinese — Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese — Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Citation
Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:
Are we missing a good synonym for low-key?
What is another word for Low-key?
Use filters to view other words, we have 603 synonyms for low-key.
If you know synonyms for Low-key, then you can share it or put your rating in listed similar words.
- APA
- MLA
- CMS
- easygoing
- laid-back
- muted
- quiet
- relaxed
- restrained
- sober
- subtle
- understated
- loose
- low-pitched
- muffled
- played down
- soft-sell
- softened
- toned-down
- anonymity
- diffidence
- inconspicuousness
- invisibility
- low profile
- obscurity
- reserve
- reticence
- semivisibility
- shyness
- low visibility
On this page you’ll find 52 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to low-key, such as: easygoing, laid-back, muted, quiet, relaxed, and restrained.
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
QUIZ
Don’t Go Retrograde On Your Word Of The Day Quiz Streak!
START THE QUIZ
How to use low-key in a sentence
Voices at last, low and muffled, voices pitched in a low key, men talking as in deep confidence.
THE IMAGINARY MARRIAGEHENRY ST. JOHN COOPER
They continued the conversation, turned into this ominous channel, in the same low key.
THE SON OF CLEMENCEAUALEXANDRE (FILS) DUMAS
He used it to keep his voice in a low key and to measure his words on the great subject.
WITHIN THE TIDESJOSEPH CONRAD
Life with him is pitched in a low key; comfortable rather than cheerful, and never jubilant.
BIRDS IN THE BUSHBRADFORD TORREY
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
OCTOBER 26, 1985
WORDS RELATED TO LOW-KEY
- at a standstill
- at peace
- bland
- breathless
- breezeless
- bucolic
- cool
- halcyon
- harmonious
- hushed
- in order
- inactive
- low-key
- mild
- motionless
- pacific
- pastoral
- placid
- quiescent
- reposeful
- reposing
- restful
- rural
- serene
- slow
- smooth
- soothing
- still
- stormless
- tranquil
- undisturbed
- unruffled
- waveless
- windless
- at a standstill
- at peace
- bland
- breathless
- breezeless
- bucolic
- cool
- halcyon
- harmonious
- hushed
- in order
- inactive
- low-key
- mild
- motionless
- pacific
- pastoral
- placid
- quiescent
- reposeful
- reposing
- restful
- rural
- serene
- slow
- smooth
- soothing
- still
- stormless
- tranquil
- undisturbed
- unruffled
- waveless
- windless
- acerbic
- arcane
- biting
- caustic
- cutting
- cynical
- deadpan
- droll
- harsh
- humorous
- ironical
- keen
- low-key
- restrained
- salty
- sardonic
- satirical
- sharp
- sly
- sour
- subtle
- tart
- cozy
- down-to-earth
- homely
- homey
- low-key
- modest
- natural
- plain
- rustic
- unassuming
- unpretentious
- abeyant
- asleep
- blah
- disengaged
- do-nothing
- dormant
- down
- draggy
- dull
- idle
- immobile
- in holding pattern
- indolent
- inoperative
- jobless
- latent
- lax
- lethargic
- limp
- low-key
- mothballed
- motionless
- on hold
- ossified
- out of action
- out of commission
- out of service
- out of work
- passive
- quiescent
- quiet
- sedentary
- slack
- sleepy
- slothful
- slow
- sluggish
- somnolent
- stable
- static
- still
- torpid
- unemployed
- unoccupied
- unused
- camouflaged
- concealed
- dim
- faint
- hidden
- indistinct
- insignificant
- low-key
- low-profile
- modest
- muted
- ordinary
- plain
- quiet
- retiring
- secretive
- shy
- soft-pedalled
- subtle
- tenuous
- unassuming
- unemphatic
- unobtrusive
- unostentatious
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
What is another word for low-key?
125 synonyms found
Pronunciation:
[ lˈə͡ʊkˈiː], [ lˈəʊkˈiː], [ l_ˈəʊ_k_ˈiː]
Related words: low key, low-key person, low key definition, low key person
Related questions:
Table of Contents
-
adj.
• all (adjective)
- low-key.
• calm (adjective)
- slowest,
- Stormless,
- in order,
- low key,
- soothing,
- at peace,
- reposeful,
- Waveless,
- windless,
- at a standstill.
• dry (adjective)
- salty.
• folksy (adjective)
- unassuming,
- unpretentious,
- un pretentious,
- un-pretentious,
- un-assuming,
- un assuming,
- folksy.
• inactive (adjective)
- indolent,
- out of service,
- in holding pattern,
- draggy,
- do nothing,
- out of action,
- mothballed,
- on hold,
- jobless.
• inconspicuous (adjective)
- Unconspicuous,
- low-profile,
- unemphatic.
• moderate (adjective)
- non-partisan,
- mid-way,
- disciplined,
- not excessive,
- abstinent,
- peaceable.
• Other relevant words: (adjective)
- inactive,
- sober,
- out of spirits,
- unobtrusive,
- dry,
- subdued,
- soft,
- down in mouth,
- moderate,
- inconspicuous,
- calm.
• sober (adjective)
- no nonsense,
- hardboiled,
- unimpassioned,
- Clear-headed,
- unexcited,
- forgoing.
• soft (adjective)
- shaded,
- softer.
• subdued (adjective)
- soft-sell.
• unconspicuous (adjective)
- un-conspicuous,
- un conspicuous,
- most having,
- Having,
- more having.
• unobtrusive (adjective)
- more soft pedaled,
- selfeffacing,
- most softpedaled,
- un-obtrusive,
- more soft-pedaled,
- most soft-pedaled,
- self effacing,
- most soft pedaled,
- more softpedaled,
- un obtrusive.
-
n.
-
•
- peaceful,
- placid,
- tranquil,
- still,
- cozy,
- pacific,
- serene,
- somnolent.
-
•
- small,
- sounds,
- low.
• low-key (noun)
- restrained.
• Other relevant words: (noun)
- low-keyed.
• subdued (noun)
- soft sell.
-
Other synonyms:
-
•
- whispery.
• Other relevant words (noun):
- low-pitched,
- reticent,
- unassertive,
- simple,
- modest,
- unadorned,
- unembellished,
- unnoticeable,
- reserved,
- dim,
- repressed,
- softened,
- understated,
- laid-back,
- quiet,
- easygoing,
- toned down,
- tempered,
- humble,
- unostentatious,
- suppressed,
- retiring,
- basic,
- hushed,
- mellow,
- unenthusiastic,
- loose,
- muted,
- conservative,
- unaggressive,
- unflashy,
- temperate,
- muffled,
- relaxed,
- played down,
- subtle,
- unpresuming,
- self-effacing.
How to use «Low-key» in context?
people
There’s something attractive about low-key people. Maybe it’s their understated manners or the way they seem to effortlessly maintain calm in chaotic situations. Low-key people often have the ability to seem unassuming, which can make them seem more approachable. They may also be more creative than their more outspoken counterparts because they don’t seem to be vying for attention.
Yet despite all these qualities, low-key people don’t often get the recognition they deserve. Part of this is due to our culture’s obsession with oversharing. Anybody who disagrees with this trend is immediately labeled a shy or introverted individual.
Paraphrases for Low-key:
Paraphrases are highlighted according to their relevancy:
-
Equivalence
-
Adjective
low-profile.
-
Adjective
-
Independent
-
Adjective
restrained, secretive, simple, subtle, non-intrusive.
-
Adjective
-
Other Related
-
Adjective
discreet, discrete, inconspicuous, low, moderate, modest, quiet, unobtrusive.
-
Adjective
keeping a low profile, low-pitched, muffled, muted, played down, quiet, restrained, subdued, toned down, understated
English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus
low-key
If you say that something is low-key, you mean that it is on a small scale rather than involving a lot of activity or being made to seem impressive or important. adj
The wedding will be a very low-key affair…, He wanted to keep the meetings low-key.
Translation English Cobuild Collins Dictionary
Add your entry in the Collaborative Dictionary.
Thesaurus
Synonyms of low-key
-
as in subdued
- as in subdued
-
Related Articles
-
Entries Near
-
-
Cite this EntryCitation
-
Share
Show more -
-
Show more
-
Citation
-
Share
-
-
-
To save this word, you’ll need to log in.
Log In
-
To save this word, you’ll need to log in.
low-key
adjective
variants
also low-keyed
Definition of low-key
as in subdued
not excessively showy
hoping to make a good impression, he deliberately chose a low-key tie with a subtle pattern
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
-
subdued
-
understated
-
restrained
-
muted
-
unpretentious
-
simple
-
quiet
-
conservative
-
unflashy
-
graceful
-
toned—down
-
repressed
-
sober
-
proper
-
appropriate
-
plain
-
suitable
-
handsome
-
fitting
-
modest
-
unobtrusive
-
inconspicuous
-
unadorned
-
sensible
-
becoming
-
practical
-
tasteful
-
undecorated
-
unnoticeable
-
drab
-
fit
-
mousy
-
mousey
-
refined
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
-
loud
-
flamboyant
-
flashy
-
swanky
-
noisy
-
ostentatious
-
gaudy
-
glitzy
-
garish
-
swank
-
splashy
-
meretricious
-
tawdry
-
flaring
-
tacky
-
fancy
-
vulgar
-
trashy
-
tasteless
-
razzle—dazzle
-
inelegant
-
baroque
-
ornate
-
graceless
-
gilded
-
gilt
-
frilly
-
rococo
-
overwrought
-
overdecorated
-
overdone
See More
-
loud
-
flamboyant
-
flashy
-
swanky
-
noisy
-
ostentatious
-
gaudy
-
glitzy
-
garish
-
swank
-
splashy
-
meretricious
-
tawdry
-
flaring
-
tacky
-
fancy
-
vulgar
-
trashy
-
tasteless
-
razzle—dazzle
-
inelegant
-
baroque
-
ornate
-
graceless
-
gilded
-
gilt
-
frilly
-
rococo
-
overwrought
-
overdecorated
-
overdone
See More
Articles Related to low-key

Words We’re Watching: ‘Low-key’
Some of you have been low-key waiting for us to bring this up
Thesaurus Entries Near low-key
low-grade
low-key
lowland
See More Nearby Entries
Cite this Entry
Style
“Low-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/low-key. Accessed 2 May. 2023.
Copy Citation
Share
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!
Merriam-Webster unabridged

Can you solve 4 words at once?
Can you solve 4 words at once?
Word of the Day
plausible
See Definitions and Examples »
Get Word of the Day daily email!
Words at Play
-
12 Political PutdownsFor When ‘Lowdown Crook’ Isn’t Specific Enough
-
Absent Letters That Are Heard AnywayWhen letters make sounds that aren’t associated w…
-
Better Ways to Say «This Sucks»Go on…make your English teacher proud.
-
When Were Words First Used?Look up any year to find out
Ask the Editors
-
Weird PluralsOne goose, two geese. One moose, two… moose. Wh…
-
IrregardlessIt is in fact a real word (but that doesn’t mean …
-
Bring vs. TakeBoth words imply motion, but the difference may b…
-
DefenestrationThe fascinating story behind many people’s favori…
Word Games
-
A Royal Vocabulary QuizGet your dukes in a row.
Take the quiz
-
Name That Thing Mega Quiz!Test your visual vocabulary!
Take the quiz
-
Spell ItHear a word and type it out. How many can you get…
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee QuizCan you outdo past winners of the National Spelli…
Take the quiz
Low-key is the last word in phrase
-
character low-key
-
role low-key
-
bit low-key
















