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.
Clancy appeared downcast as the judge made the ruling official.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Forte plays Kevin Avery, a downcast injury lawyer living in Albuquerque who begrudgingly accepts a new client, the tenacious Wile E. Coyote, in a trial against the Acme Corp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Steven Spielberg offers another alien tale with ‘Disclosure Day,’ Olivia Rodrigo embraces downcast love songs on her new record, an exhibition in Chicago focuses on Willem de Kooning’s drawings, and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
He must also wait to see how long he is without Romero, whose downcast departure wiping away tears was yet another twist in this harrowing season.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
When he did speak, he kept his eyes downcast, as if he were talking to the carpet.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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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.
