low keyn.adj.

Brit.

/ˌləʊ ˈkiː/, U.S.

/ˌloʊ ˈki/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: low adj., key n.¹

Etymology: < low adj. + key n.¹

A. n.

1. Art and Photography. A prevalence of dark or muted colours and tones; a mood marked by this.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > work of art > [noun] > artistic treatment or style > types of

grotesque1561

charging1569

gusto1662

grand manner1695

manner1706

flatnessa1719

style1801

low key1803

mannerism1803

daguerreotype1850

chic1851

conventionalization1880

Louis Philippe1908

stylization1908

convention1926

historicism1939

pop1958

1803 P. Bayley Poems 34 The picture..was originally painted in a low key, and the drapery of the Saviour..formed the principal light.

1855 Crayon 1 118/1 It is so common in the English pictures, where there is an attempt to paint on a low key.

1884 Athenæum 24 May 668 The tonality of the picture is very good, although the illumination is in a low key.

1936 D. V. Thompson Pract. Tempera Painting i. 4 Tempera has other limitations... It is not well adapted for painting in a low key.

1959 Penguin Dict. Art 313 Tenebrism..is the name given to painting in a very low key, specifically to the works of those early 17th c. painters who were much influenced by Caravaggio.

2005 D. Hornung Colour vii. 122 The value range is extremely narrow and in a low key.

2. English regional. A state of despondency or depression. Chiefly in to be in a low key. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [noun]

unlustOE

sorrowfulnessa1250

heavinessc1275

elengenessec1320

dullnessc1369

tristourc1380

murknessc1390

tristesse1390

faintness1398

ungladnessa1400

droopingc1400

heavity14..

dejectionc1450

terne?a1513

disconsolation1515

descence1526

marea1529

sadness?1537

dumpishness1548

unblessedness1549

dolorousness1553

ruefulness?1574

dolefulness1586

heartlessness1591

languishment1591

mopishness1598

soul-sickness1603

contristation1605

damp1606

gloominess1607

sableness1607

uncheerfulnessa1617

disconsolateness1624

cheerlessnessa1631

dejectedness1633

droopingness1635

disanimation1637

lowness1639

desponsion1641

disconsolacy1646

despondency1653

dispiritedness1654

chagrin1656

demission1656

jawfall1660

weightedness1660

depression1665

disconsolancy1665

grumness1675

despondence1676

despond1678

disheartenednessa1680

glumness1727

low1727

gloom1744

low-spiritedness1754

blue devils1756

black dog1776

humdudgeon1785

blue devilism1787

dispiritude1797

wishtnessc1800

downheartedness1801

blue-devilage1816

dispiritment1827

downcastness1827

depressiveness1832

dolorosity1835

lugubriosity1840

disconsolance1847

down1856

heavy-heartedness1860

lugubriousness1879

sullenness1885

low key1886

melancholia1896

burn-out1903

mokus1924

downness1927

mopiness1927

deflation1933

wallow1934

1886 T. Hardy Mayor of Casterbridge xiii, in Graphic 6 Feb. 162/1 I'm in such a low key with drinking nothing but small table ninepenny this last week or two.

1889 J. Hartley Orig. Clock Almanack 54 Sarah wor in a varry low kay.

B. adj. Chiefly in form low-key.

1. Art and Photography. Of a picture or lighting: dim or dull in tone.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > modest or unpretentious specifically of things

modest1582

lowly1637

submiss1638

verecundiousa1639

unambitious1713

quiet1768

chastea1797

unassuminga1807

unshowy1838

low-keyed1878

low key1897

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > a photograph > qualities and effects > [adjective] > contrast, etc.

greyed1730

strong1841

intense1879

contrasty1891

low key1897

flat1901

posterized1936

1897 Decorator & Furnisher 29 163/2 There are three principles of color harmony..Harmony of dominant or low-key colors [etc.].

1907 Westm. Gaz. 19 Jan. 14/2 There is not the slightest reason why we should not exploit this low-key type of picture.

1953 K. Reisz Technique Film Editing i. 65 The elegant low-key lighting (which is utterly unrealistic).

2004 Digital Photographer No. 24. 36/3 A final point to bear in mind when doing low-key portraits is to use spot metering.

2. figurative. Not elaborate, showy, or intense; muted, restrained; modest.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > moderateness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective]

evenlya1200

methefully?c1225

renable?1305

reasonablea1325

measurablec1330

skillwisea1340

moderatea1398

temperate1398

meetlya1400

measurablyc1450

rationablec1475

competent1535

midway1573

modest1582

sober1619

medious1657

slack1662

meeverly1819

low key1941

1941 Frederick (Maryland) Post 15 Nov. 4/2 Welles likes strong histrionics and has no patience with the prevailing style of underplaying everything in movies. In fact, he believes that low-key acting is used mostly because it's the only way Hollywood knows of avoiding clashes in emotional continuity.

1951 Life 19 Mar. 132/1 There is a minor, low-key rivalry between 58 and 26 but it isn't an important one.

1965 Listener 2 Dec. 934/3 Pleasant, low-key entertainment.

1980 Time 16 June 49 Smokey is remarkably low key for a soul master.

2011 Independent 26 May 23/1 The night was low-key, and ultimately disappointing for paparazzi.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	low key
释义	low keyn.adj. Brit. /ˌləʊ ˈkiː/, U.S. /ˌloʊ ˈki/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: low adj., key n.¹ Etymology: < low adj. + key n.¹ A. n. 1. Art and Photography. A prevalence of dark or muted colours and tones; a mood marked by this. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > work of art > [noun] > artistic treatment or style > types of grotesque1561 charging1569 gusto1662 grand manner1695 manner1706 flatnessa1719 style1801 low key1803 mannerism1803 daguerreotype1850 chic1851 conventionalization1880 Louis Philippe1908 stylization1908 convention1926 historicism1939 pop1958 1803 P. Bayley Poems 34 The picture..was originally painted in a low key, and the drapery of the Saviour..formed the principal light. 1855 Crayon 1 118/1 It is so common in the English pictures, where there is an attempt to paint on a low key. 1884 Athenæum 24 May 668 The tonality of the picture is very good, although the illumination is in a low key. 1936 D. V. Thompson Pract. Tempera Painting i. 4 Tempera has other limitations... It is not well adapted for painting in a low key. 1959 Penguin Dict. Art 313 Tenebrism..is the name given to painting in a very low key, specifically to the works of those early 17th c. painters who were much influenced by Caravaggio. 2005 D. Hornung Colour vii. 122 The value range is extremely narrow and in a low key. 2. English regional. A state of despondency or depression. Chiefly in to be in a low key. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [noun] unlustOE sorrowfulnessa1250 heavinessc1275 elengenessec1320 dullnessc1369 tristourc1380 murknessc1390 tristesse1390 faintness1398 ungladnessa1400 droopingc1400 heavity14.. dejectionc1450 terne?a1513 disconsolation1515 descence1526 marea1529 sadness?1537 dumpishness1548 unblessedness1549 dolorousness1553 ruefulness?1574 dolefulness1586 heartlessness1591 languishment1591 mopishness1598 soul-sickness1603 contristation1605 damp1606 gloominess1607 sableness1607 uncheerfulnessa1617 disconsolateness1624 cheerlessnessa1631 dejectedness1633 droopingness1635 disanimation1637 lowness1639 desponsion1641 disconsolacy1646 despondency1653 dispiritedness1654 chagrin1656 demission1656 jawfall1660 weightedness1660 depression1665 disconsolancy1665 grumness1675 despondence1676 despond1678 disheartenednessa1680 glumness1727 low1727 gloom1744 low-spiritedness1754 blue devils1756 black dog1776 humdudgeon1785 blue devilism1787 dispiritude1797 wishtnessc1800 downheartedness1801 blue-devilage1816 dispiritment1827 downcastness1827 depressiveness1832 dolorosity1835 lugubriosity1840 disconsolance1847 down1856 heavy-heartedness1860 lugubriousness1879 sullenness1885 low key1886 melancholia1896 burn-out1903 mokus1924 downness1927 mopiness1927 deflation1933 wallow1934 1886 T. Hardy Mayor of Casterbridge xiii, in Graphic 6 Feb. 162/1 I'm in such a low key with drinking nothing but small table ninepenny this last week or two. 1889 J. Hartley Orig. Clock Almanack 54 Sarah wor in a varry low kay. B. adj. Chiefly in form low-key. 1. Art and Photography. Of a picture or lighting: dim or dull in tone. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > modest or unpretentious specifically of things modest1582 lowly1637 submiss1638 verecundiousa1639 unambitious1713 quiet1768 chastea1797 unassuminga1807 unshowy1838 low-keyed1878 low key1897 society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > a photograph > qualities and effects > [adjective] > contrast, etc. greyed1730 strong1841 intense1879 contrasty1891 low key1897 flat1901 posterized1936 1897 Decorator & Furnisher 29 163/2 There are three principles of color harmony..Harmony of dominant or low-key colors [etc.]. 1907 Westm. Gaz. 19 Jan. 14/2 There is not the slightest reason why we should not exploit this low-key type of picture. 1953 K. Reisz Technique Film Editing i. 65 The elegant low-key lighting (which is utterly unrealistic). 2004 Digital Photographer No. 24. 36/3 A final point to bear in mind when doing low-key portraits is to use spot metering. 2. figurative. Not elaborate, showy, or intense; muted, restrained; modest. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > moderateness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] evenlya1200 methefully?c1225 renable?1305 reasonablea1325 measurablec1330 skillwisea1340 moderatea1398 temperate1398 meetlya1400 measurablyc1450 rationablec1475 competent1535 midway1573 modest1582 sober1619 medious1657 slack1662 meeverly1819 low key1941 1941 Frederick (Maryland) Post 15 Nov. 4/2 Welles likes strong histrionics and has no patience with the prevailing style of underplaying everything in movies. In fact, he believes that low-key acting is used mostly because it's the only way Hollywood knows of avoiding clashes in emotional continuity. 1951 Life 19 Mar. 132/1 There is a minor, low-key rivalry between 58 and 26 but it isn't an important one. 1965 Listener 2 Dec. 934/3 Pleasant, low-key entertainment. 1980 Time 16 June 49 Smokey is remarkably low key for a soul master. 2011 Independent 26 May 23/1 The night was low-key, and ultimately disappointing for paparazzi. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.adj.1803
随便看	saw-beaked saw-bearing saw-belly saw-bench saw-billed saw-blade saw-carf saw-carriage saw-cut saw-doctor saw-edge saw-edged saw-file saw-filer saw-filing saw-frame saw-gate saw-gin saw-ginned saw-grass saw-grinder saw-gummer saw-handle saw-handled saw-horned