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
: pessimistic, gloomy
a downbeat assessment
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
Lisa Kailai Han,sean Conlon, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
The move came as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Trump’s tariffs would have a major negative impact on the U.S. economy, downbeat remarks that sent stocks sharply lower in afternoon trading.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025
With Shia LaBeouf and James Cosmo also on board, this downbeat tale has solid performances, an intriguing locale and accomplished visual presentation among its virtues.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
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Noun
But with so much uncertainty over both macroeconomic conditions and trade policies, many companies have been giving downbeat second-quarter forecasts and have been withdrawing or balking at revising their full-year projections.
—Lisa Kailai Han,sean Conlon, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025
The move came as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Trump’s tariffs would have a major negative impact on the U.S. economy, downbeat remarks that sent stocks sharply lower in afternoon trading.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The downbeat views extended to the stock market, with 48.5% expecting lower prices in the next 12 months, the worst reading since October 2011.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025
With Shia LaBeouf and James Cosmo also on board, this downbeat tale has solid performances, an intriguing locale and accomplished visual presentation among its virtues.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downbeat. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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