downbeat
[ doun-beet ]
/ ˈdaʊnˌbit /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Words nearby downbeat
down, down-and-dirty, down-and-out, down-at-the-heels, down-ballot, downbeat, down-bow, downburst, down card, downcast, down cold, have
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences 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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012