upbeat
noun
an unaccented beat, especially immediately preceding a downbeat.
upbeats
-
pluralof upbeat.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
“He took care with short notes that shouldn’t be hurried over, and with upbeats, which can be more important than downbeats — all the things that magic is made of.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2017
An unusually upbeat beginning to the festival, then, or at least it would have been were Dennehy's upbeats more easily distinguished from his down.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 19, 2012
Tuesday’s first set began as the album does: with “España,” a kinetic concoction set in 5/4 meter, its springy melody hitting the upbeats in a minor scale.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2011
The first important bebop drummers, of which he was one, used silences and moderation and self-imposed restrictions to make their sneaked upbeats pop more vividly.
From New York Times ● Sep. 26, 2010
Turnage was lucky to find an ideal conductor in David Robertson, a musician both consistently upbeat and unfailingly precise with his upbeats.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 27, 2010
