upbeat

[ uhp-beet ]
/ ˈʌpˌbit /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR upbeat ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Music.

an unaccented beat, especially immediately preceding a downbeat.
the upward stroke with which a conductor indicates such a beat.

adjective

optimistic; happy; cheerful: television dramas with predictably upbeat endings.

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advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
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to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
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Origin of upbeat

1865–70; 1950–55 for def 3; up- + beat

Words nearby upbeat

upanishad, upanishads, upas, upaya, upbear, upbeat, upbound, upbraid, upbraiding, upbringing, upbuild
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to upbeat

positive, sanguine, encouraging, hopeful, rosy, buoyant, cheery, happy, optimistic, favorable, fond, promising, heartening

Example sentences from the Web for upbeat

British Dictionary definitions for upbeat

upbeat
/ (ˈʌpˌbiːt) /

noun

music
  1. a usually unaccented beat, esp the last in a bar
  2. the upward gesture of a conductor's baton indicating thisCompare downbeat
an upward trend (in prosperity, etc)

adjective

informal marked by cheerfulness or optimism
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012