downbeat

1 of 2

noun

down·​beat ˈdau̇n-ˌbēt 

1

: the downward stroke of a conductor indicating the principally accented note of a measure of music

also : the first beat of a measure

2

: a decline in activity or prosperity

downbeat

2 of 2

adjective

: pessimistic, gloomy

a downbeat assessment

Synonyms

Adjective

• bearish
• defeatist
• despairing
• hopeless
• pessimistic

Examples of downbeat in a Sentence

Adjective

a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming year

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And the phrases in the singalong chorus generally start on the second beat of a measure, leading to the downbeat of the next bar; thus, they’re built from musical pickups. —Tom Roland, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2025

Shot in black-and-white and filled with images influenced by classic Westerns, The Last Picture Show pays homage to Bogdanovich’s influences but has a restless, New Hollywood energy and downbeat tone, all its own. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Against that framing, the SXSW debut Fantasy Life plays, accidentally, like the flip side to that equation, with its focus on his perspective and its less starry-eyed, more downbeat tone. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025

Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods and sneaker maker Puma each fell Tuesday as both companies issued downbeat guidance for the year reflecting uncertainty over the effect of the Trump tariffs. —Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for downbeat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

downbeat

noun

down·​beat

ˈdau̇n-ˌbēt

: the downward stroke of a conductor indicating the principally accented note of a measure of music