high-key
High-key means “very,” “totally” or “openly.” It’s the opposite of low-key: instead of hinting at something, you’re saying it loud and proud.
What does high-key mean?
High-key adds emphasis and removes any secrecy. “I high-key love this song” means you really, openly love it and don’t care who knows. It’s often used for strong opinions, excitement or obvious feelings.
It’s less common than low-key, and it often appears as a deliberate contrast: “I used to low-key like him, now I high-key like him.”
How to use high-key
- “I high-key need a vacation.”
- “She’s high-key the funniest person I know.”
- “That movie was high-key terrible.”
- “High-key obsessed with this new album.”
High-key vs. low-key
Low-key softens or keeps something quiet; high-key makes it emphatic and public. Low-key is a whisper, high-key is a shout.
Where high-key comes from
Merriam-Webster dates the informal adverb “high-key,” meaning “totally,” to 2008 and says it originated in African American English. It spread as a playful opposite to low-key on social media in the 2010s.
Related terms
See more terms like this in our Gen Z slang dictionary.
Notes
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