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.
Brobbey, who has signed a new contract until 2031, has yet to score since returning from a hamstring injury, while former Arsenal midfielder Xhaka was downbeat after last weekend's defeat at newly promoted Coventry.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Americans’ downbeat view of the labor market also seems out of step with a low, 4.2% unemployment rate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Upbeat spending is particularly remarkable because it seems to contradict downbeat consumer sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Nike slumps after the retailer misses analysts’ first-quarter earnings target and issues downbeat full-year guidance.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Then the piano keys trilled and the guitar and bass and drums pounced on the downbeat and I forgot all about Vonetta, the record needle, and getting in trouble.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
