downbeat
[ doun-beet ]
/ ˈdaʊnˌbit /
noun Music.
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
gloomy or depressing; pessimistic: Hollywood movies seldom have downbeat endings.
Nearby words
down-home, down-low, down-market, down-the-line, down-to-earth, downbeat, downburst, downcast, downcastly, downcome, downcomer
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for downbeat
British Dictionary definitions for downbeat
downbeat
/ (ˈdaʊnˌbiːt) /
noun
music the first beat of a bar or the downward gesture of a conductor's baton indicating thisCompare upbeat
adjective
informal depressed; gloomy
informal relaxed; unemphatic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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