Synonyms for key
- noun
- adjective
- verb
Most common
Definitions
- n. 1
An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).
This key is to the backdoor.
- n. 2
An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed). A card or fob that electronically signals a lock to open.
My hotel room key is a card.
- adj. 1
Important, salient.
She makes several key points.
- v. 1
To fit (a lock) with a key.
Example sentences
- keystone Sex appeal is the keystone of our civilization.
- paint Oil on canvas can never paint a petal so delicate.
- lock I want you to go to your rooms and lock the doors.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| key | rising | |
| keystone | steady | |
| paint | steady | |
| lock | rising | |
| keystroke | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bar1, cay1
- 4 letters
- name1, lock1, tone1, clue1
- 5 letters
- guide1, paint1, pitch1, vital2, tonic2
- 6 letters
- legend2, primal2, clavis
- 7 letters
- central2, crucial2, keynote2, pivotal3
- 8 letters
- solution3, identify4, describe2, discover3, cardinal3, keystone2, tonality4
- 9 letters
- important3, essential3, headstone2, keystroke2
- 11 letters
- explanation4, fundamental4, distinguish3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (vital2 = 2 syllables).