upbeat

[ uhp-beet ]
See synonyms for: upbeatupbeats on Thesaurus.com

nounMusic.
  1. an unaccented beat, especially immediately preceding a downbeat.

  2. the upward stroke with which a conductor indicates such a beat.

adjective
  1. optimistic; happy; cheerful: television dramas with predictably upbeat endings.

Origin of upbeat

1
1865–70; 1950–55 for def. 3; up- + beat

Words Nearby upbeat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use upbeat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for upbeat

upbeat

/ (ˈʌpˌbiːt) /


noun
  1. music

    • a usually unaccented beat, esp the last in a bar

    • the upward gesture of a conductor's baton indicating this: Compare downbeat

  2. an upward trend (in prosperity, etc)

adjective
  1. informal marked by cheerfulness or optimism

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012