downbeat
Americannoun
-
the downward stroke of a conductor's arm or baton indicating the first or accented beat of a measure.
-
the first beat of a measure.
adjective
noun
adjective
-
informal depressed; gloomy
-
informal relaxed; unemphatic
Etymology
Origin of downbeat
Vocabulary lists containing downbeat
Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nike slumps after the retailer misses analysts’ first-quarter earnings target and issues downbeat full-year guidance.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
JD Sports JD -1.98%decrease; red down pointing triangle Fashion reported lower profit for its fiscal first half as the U.K. company continues to deal with a difficult market backdrop, including downbeat consumer sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
The firm noted that downbeat expectations “in a year of unusually sharp upward revisions, weigh on shares, reducing hope that shares will rebound before year end.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Pernod Ricard’s more downbeat sales guidance for the coming years tallies with Diageo’s own “prudent” sales-growth expectations, James Edwardes Jones at RBC Capital Markets wrote in a note following the update.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Clap or tap to the beat of a song for a few measures, tapping louder on the downbeat and lighter on the other beats in the measure, then begin singing.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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