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.
Despite this downbeat outlook, the stock rose 3.7% on Thursday, after closing the previous session at the lowest price since April 2020.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Upbeat spending is particularly remarkable because it seems to contradict downbeat consumer sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
AutoZone is down 31% over the past year and is likely to echo the downbeat message from competitors O’Reilly and Advance Auto Parts when it reports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Asked if the end of the war in Ukraine could bring that about, Hoppe was downbeat.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
It is, in fact, a downbeat speech, almost an informal State of the Union address, designed to undercut the revelry and prepare the country for years of more pain and struggle.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
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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.
