adjective Also low-keyed . of reduced intensity; restrained; understated: Judicial elections used to be low-key affairs, attracting little campaign spending.

Does lowkey need a hyphen?

It's pretty clear where lowkey comes from. Mainstream dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster, have low-key with a hyphen, as in a low-key party.

Is lowkey one word or two?

There are two versions of the word: one is an adjective that is spelt low-key, and the other is an adverb that is spelt lowkey (usually, it doesn't have a standard spelling though). The adverb "lowkey" is kind of a slang usage, while the adjective "low-key" is a bit more standard.