low lights

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Dark strands added to hair to give it depth and contrast, the opposite of highlights.

   Grammar: Usually plural in this beauty sense: 'She got low lights.' For one strand, say 'a low light'.

   Patterns

   • get low lights
   • have low lights put in
   • low lights and highlights

   She asked the stylist for low lights to make her blonde hair look more natural.

   Low lights add darker tones, while highlights add lighter ones.

   He had low lights put in before the wedding.

2. 2nounplural

   Weak or dim lighting in a room, photograph, or performance.

   Grammar: Here 'low lights' means several weak light sources; the singular 'low light' means dim conditions in general.

   Patterns

   • in low lights
   • under low lights

   The restaurant uses low lights to create a calm mood.

   The actor waited in the low lights at the side of the stage.

Word forms

Common combinations

get low lights

I want to get low lights to break up the blonde.

low lights and highlights

The salon offers low lights and highlights as a package.

in low lights

The photo was taken in low lights, so it looks grainy.

add low lights

Adding low lights can make thin hair look thicker.

Synonyms and how they differ

lowlights

The one-word spelling is more common in salons and beauty writing; both mean the same thing.

Opposites

Word family

highlight noun

A lighter strand of hair, or the most important part of something.

light noun

Brightness that lets you see things.

Commonly confused: low lights or low light?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “low lights”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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