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upbeat

[ uhp-beet ]
/ ˈʌpˌbit /
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See synonyms for: upbeat / upbeats 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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Origin of upbeat

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

Words nearby upbeat

Upanishads, upas, up a tree, upaya, upbear, upbeat, upbound, up-bow, upbraid, upbraiding, upbringing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to upbeat

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

How to use upbeat in a sentence

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
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