downcast
Americanadjective
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dejected
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(esp of the eyes) directed downwards
noun
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mining a ventilation shaft
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geology another word for downthrow
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of downcast
First recorded in 1250–1300, downcast is from the Middle English word douncasten. See down 1, cast
Explanation
If you're feeling sad, gloomy, blue, low, grim, depressed, or melancholy, you probably don't care if there could possibly any more synonyms for the way you feel. Rest assured that there are, and one of them is downcast. Downcast most frequently describes a person's mood: downhearted, down in the mouth, down in the dumps, just plain old down. It can also refer to the direction in which something is pointed — down. Your eyes, for instance, gazing downward, are downcast. And many times when your eyes are looking that way, it's because you're feeling that way.
Vocabulary lists containing downcast
Cry Me A River: Synonyms for "Sad"
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Front Desk
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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.
The somewhat downcast outlook for earnings per share wasn’t surprising, said BofA Securities analyst Peter T. Galbo.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor looks downcast during the home defeat by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Ireland skipper Lorcan Tucker was downcast after his side did not get to play.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
Nearly four years later, Zelensky, clad in black, recorded another video near the same spot—more downcast than defiant, preparing his people for the potential loss of a major ally.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025
Minli looked at Dragon’s downcast eyes and read the years of sadness and frustration in his face.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
Definitions 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.
