downbeat

American

[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.

downbeat British

/ ˈdaʊnˌbiːt /

noun

music the first beat of a bar or the downward gesture of a conductor's baton indicating this Compare upbeat

"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

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

Etymology

Origin of downbeat

1875–80; down ¹ + beat (noun)

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.

Sentiment was decidedly downbeat as the trading week got under way in Asia, which is particularly vulnerable to energy market turmoil as it imports the bulk of its power needs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Compounding the downbeat mood was news Friday that the US economy unexpectedly lost jobs in February, while unemployment edged up.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

He headed to his downbeat captain Harry Brook, who was slouched by the boundary edge.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

The cruise operator missed sales expectations for the latest quarter and provided a downbeat outlook for both profit and bookings.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

It was as though he had given a downbeat with an invisible baton.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023