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.
Jaret Seiberg, an analyst and managing director at TD Cowen’s Washington Research Group, also has been downbeat on the prospects for the legislation, which the crypto industry has been clamoring for.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
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
But Hamilton's downbeat remarks are a reflection of not only qualifying but his experience in the sprint.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Amazon and Microsoft added to the downbeat mood after the European Union said they should face tougher digital competition rules because of their dominant position in cloud computing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
The track was slick, though—a heavy double downbeat you could feel in your gut and clickity-clack rim shots bouncing back and forth like two stuttering ghosts.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
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.
