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.
The downbeat earnings come as Hyundai’s unionized auto workers in South Korea are staging partial walkouts for a second straight week to demand higher wages, doubling strike hours to four per shift this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Still, Macquarie was downbeat about its all-in sustaining costs in 4Q and higher FY27 capex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
But Hamilton's downbeat remarks are a reflection of not only qualifying but his experience in the sprint.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
A software executive leaving to work for a chip company feeds Wall Street’s downbeat narrative around software stocks, which continue to struggle amid AI replacement fears.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
Guy Greco struck the downbeat three final times—hop^hop-hop—and the two lines collided at the gate in a frenzy of hugs and shrieks and kisses.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
