downbeat

American  

[doun-beet] / ˈdaʊnˌbit /

noun

Music.

1. the downward stroke of a conductor's arm or baton indicating the first or accented beat of a measure.

2. the first beat of a measure.

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adjective

1. gloomy or depressing; pessimistic.

   Hollywood movies seldom have downbeat endings.

downbeat British  

/ ˈdaʊnˌbiːt /

noun

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

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adjective

1. informal depressed; gloomy

2. informal relaxed; unemphatic

Etymology

Origin of downbeat

1875–80; down ¹ + beat (noun)

Example Sentences

Norwegian’s sales miss and downbeat booking and profit outlooks spark concern about demand for cruises.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Panula invited her to attend one of his masterclasses, and on the first downbeat of her first experience conducting, “I knew immediately that this was beyond anything I’ve experienced in my life,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Chief Financial Officer Karen Parkhill gave downbeat commentary, citing rising memory costs.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

From my conversations with some of those involved, they sound frustrated, downbeat and a little annoyed.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Their vast wings seemed slow, but they flew fast, each downbeat driving them mightily through the air.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin