diff --git a/tree-sitter-mlf/queries/highlights.scm b/tree-sitter-mlf/queries/highlights.scm
index 3fe2781..436c682 100644
--- a/tree-sitter-mlf/queries/highlights.scm
+++ b/tree-sitter-mlf/queries/highlights.scm
@@ -111,6 +111,13 @@
   "*"
 ] @operator
 
+; The `!` marker. Context gives it its meaning:
+; - On a field/parameter: required-field marker
+; - Inside a union: closed-union marker
+(field "!" @keyword.operator)
+(parameter "!" @keyword.operator)
+(union_type "!" @keyword.operator)
+
 ; Delimiters
 [
   "("
@@ -126,3 +133,12 @@
   ";"
   "."
 ] @punctuation.delimiter
+
+; Annotation object literal keys (the `"name"` in `{ "name": value }`)
+(annotation_object_entry
+  key: (string) @property)
+
+; Backtick-escaped identifiers — flag visually so authors can see when
+; a reserved word is being used as an identifier.
+((identifier) @string.special
+  (#match? @string.special "^`.*`$"))
diff --git a/website/syntaxes/mlf.sublime-syntax b/website/syntaxes/mlf.sublime-syntax
index e5851d5..b716e84 100644
--- a/website/syntaxes/mlf.sublime-syntax
+++ b/website/syntaxes/mlf.sublime-syntax
@@ -10,11 +10,18 @@ contexts:
     - include: comments
     - include: annotations
     - include: keywords
+    - include: backtick_identifiers
     - include: types
     - include: strings
     - include: numbers
     - include: operators
 
+  # Reserved words can be used as identifiers by wrapping in backticks.
+  # Highlight them distinctly so the escape is visually obvious.
+  backtick_identifiers:
+    - match: '`[^`]+`'
+      scope: string.other.identifier.mlf
+
   comments:
     - match: '///'
       scope: punctuation.definition.comment.mlf
@@ -36,53 +43,93 @@ contexts:
       captures:
         1: entity.name.namespace.mlf
         2: entity.name.function.annotation.mlf
-      push:
-        - match: '\('
-          scope: punctuation.section.arguments.begin.mlf
-          set:
-            - meta_scope: meta.annotation.arguments.mlf
-            - match: '\)'
-              scope: punctuation.section.arguments.end.mlf
-              pop: true
-            - match: '([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)\s*(:)'
-              captures:
-                1: variable.parameter.mlf
-                2: punctuation.separator.mlf
-            - include: strings
-            - include: numbers
-            - match: '\b(true|false)\b'
-              scope: constant.language.mlf
-            - match: ','
-              scope: punctuation.separator.mlf
-        - match: '(?=\S)'
-          pop: true
+      push: maybe_annotation_args
     # Bare annotation with args: @deprecated(true)
     - match: '@([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)'
       scope: meta.annotation.mlf
       captures:
         1: entity.name.function.annotation.mlf
-      push:
-        - match: '\('
-          scope: punctuation.section.arguments.begin.mlf
-          set:
-            - meta_scope: meta.annotation.arguments.mlf
-            - match: '\)'
-              scope: punctuation.section.arguments.end.mlf
-              pop: true
-            - match: '([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)\s*(:)'
-              captures:
-                1: variable.parameter.mlf
-                2: punctuation.separator.mlf
-            - include: strings
-            - include: numbers
-            - match: '\b(true|false)\b'
-              scope: constant.language.mlf
-            - match: ','
-              scope: punctuation.separator.mlf
-        - match: '(?=\S)'
+      push: maybe_annotation_args
+
+  # After an annotation head, an opening `(` starts the argument list.
+  # Any other non-space token means the annotation was bare — bail out.
+  maybe_annotation_args:
+    - match: '\('
+      scope: punctuation.section.arguments.begin.mlf
+      set:
+        - meta_scope: meta.annotation.arguments.mlf
+        - match: '\)'
+          scope: punctuation.section.arguments.end.mlf
           pop: true
+        # Named argument: name:
+        - match: '([a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)\s*(:)'
+          captures:
+            1: variable.parameter.mlf
+            2: punctuation.separator.mlf
+        - include: annotation_value
+        - match: ','
+          scope: punctuation.separator.mlf
+    - match: '(?=\S)'
+      pop: true
+
+  # Annotation values: string, number, bool, null, type path, array, object.
+  # Used inside annotation args, array items, and object entry values.
+  annotation_value:
+    - include: strings
+    - include: numbers
+    - match: '\b(true|false|null)\b'
+      scope: constant.language.mlf
+    - match: '\['
+      scope: punctuation.section.brackets.begin.mlf
+      push: annotation_array_body
+    - match: '\{'
+      scope: punctuation.section.braces.begin.mlf
+      push: annotation_object_body
+    # Type path: dotted identifier (e.g. `com.example.foo.Bar`). Match
+    # after strings/numbers so plain keywords and bracket tokens win first.
+    - match: '\b[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?:\.[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)+\b'
+      scope: support.type.mlf
+
+  annotation_array_body:
+    - match: '\]'
+      scope: punctuation.section.brackets.end.mlf
+      pop: true
+    - include: annotation_value
+    - match: ','
+      scope: punctuation.separator.mlf
+
+  annotation_object_body:
+    - match: '\}'
+      scope: punctuation.section.braces.end.mlf
+      pop: true
+    # Object key — any string literal followed by `:`
+    - match: '(")((?:\\.|[^"\\])*)(")\s*(:)'
+      captures:
+        1: punctuation.definition.string.begin.mlf
+        2: string.quoted.double.mlf entity.name.tag.mlf
+        3: punctuation.definition.string.end.mlf
+        4: punctuation.separator.mlf
+    - include: annotation_value
+    - match: ','
+      scope: punctuation.separator.mlf
 
   keywords:
+    # `error` keyword — when followed by `{`, begin an error-block context
+    # so error names inside render as constants.
+    - match: '\b(error)\b\s*(\{)'
+      captures:
+        1: keyword.control.mlf
+        2: punctuation.section.block.begin.mlf
+      push:
+        - meta_scope: meta.error-block.mlf
+        - match: '\}'
+          scope: punctuation.section.block.end.mlf
+          pop: true
+        - include: comments
+        - match: '\b[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\b'
+          scope: constant.other.mlf
+        - match: ','
+          scope: punctuation.separator.mlf
     - match: '\b(namespace|use|as|record|inline|def|type|token|query|procedure|subscription|throws|constrained|error|self)\b'
       scope: keyword.control.mlf
     - match: '\b(main|defs)\b'