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down·beat | \ ˈdau̇n-ˌbēt 
\
\Definition of downbeat
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
adjectiveDefinition of downbeat (Entry 2 of 2)
: pessimistic, gloomy a downbeat assessment
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Synonyms & Antonyms for downbeat
Synonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Adjective
- hopeful,
- optimistic,
- Panglossian,
- Pollyanna,
- Pollyannaish
- (also Pollyannish),
- rose-colored,
- rosy,
- upbeat
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 These are all part of the remarkably consistent downbeat on radio stations given over to holiday music.
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Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "The Profound Loneliness of Christmas," 20 Dec. 2019 Heavy on the downbeats, his reading of that season-opening staple was the only weak link on the orchestra’s unusually lively and engaging opening gala on Saturday night.
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Washington Post, "In NSO opener, Noseda shows you don’t have to dumb down to have fun," 30 Sep. 2019 Three minutes before downbeat at Unitas’s final rehearsal at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts earlier this month, the conductor was informed that the entertainment license for the evening had been revoked.
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Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Ensemble dedicated to Latin American composers builds musical bridges in Boston," 25 May 2018 Over a resonant downbeat, Abel Tesfaye makes good use of his signature falsetto.
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Raisa Bruner, Time, "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week," 2 Feb. 2018 Here Weiss’ florid pianism, drummer Fludas’ fat downbeats and bassist Vinsel’s sizable tone made for the most vivid statement of the show.
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Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Pianist Michael Weiss evokes memories of Johnny Griffin," 22 June 2018 Three minutes before downbeat at Unitas’s final rehearsal at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts earlier this month, the conductor was informed that the entertainment license for the evening had been revoked.
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Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Ensemble dedicated to Latin American composers builds musical bridges in Boston," 25 May 2018 Over a resonant downbeat, Abel Tesfaye makes good use of his signature falsetto.
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Raisa Bruner, Time, "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week," 2 Feb. 2018 The drums take Bonham-doffing downbeats and turnarounds without remorse, across the huge six-and-a-half-minute song.
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Anna Tingley, Billboard, "Queens of the Stone Age Debut New 'Villains' Single 'The Evil Has Landed': Listen," 10 Aug. 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Apple had begun the year on a downbeat note, warning investors of weaker demand for the iPhone XS and XR phones in China, when sent the stock down to $142 a share on January 3.
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Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, "Apple: No new product lines, but still a record-setting 2019 for iPhone maker," 31 Dec. 2019 But the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine still maintains a downbeat outlook.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Citrus growers ‘‘are resilient and optimistic about the future,’’ Shelley Rossetter, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Citrus, said in July. ‘‘Florida will continue to be a major producer of citrus for years to come.’’," 10 Nov. 2019 In the downbeat, despairing worlds of both these thrillers, this upbeat, inspiring theme shines.
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Gerald Bartell, Washington Post, "An online warehouse gone rogue. Driverless cars, hijacked: Fiction that feels eerily possible.," 9 Oct. 2019 Stocks got a downbeat start to the week as investors kept a wary eye on tensions with Iran and on signals from China and the U.S. on prospects for a resolution of their tariffs war.
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San Diego Union-Tribune, "Global shares, oil slip as Iran tensions in focus," 23 Sep. 2019 The tone at this annual gabfest in the Alps was set with a downbeat forecast on Tuesday from the International Monetary Fund.
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Stephen Fidler, WSJ, "Europe’s Political Funk Sets Back Its Economy," 23 Jan. 2019 Kelly pointed to surveys showing that Republicans were downbeat on the economy until President Donald Trump's election in 2016.
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Matt Egan, CNN, "How America's aging economic expansion could stay alive for years," 31 Oct. 2019 Community support for the orchestra’s return was visible Friday: There were few empty seats in the Meyerhoff, and ticket lines wound around the hall up to the last minutes before downbeat.
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Elizabeth Nonemaker, baltimoresun.com, "Concert review: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra returns after labor dispute, honoring Christopher Rouse," 28 Sep. 2019 But the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine still maintains a downbeat outlook.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Citrus growers ‘‘are resilient and optimistic about the future,’’ Shelley Rossetter, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Citrus, said in July. ‘‘Florida will continue to be a major producer of citrus for years to come.’’," 10 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downbeat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for downbeat
downbeat
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of downbeat
(Entry 1 of 2)
music
: the downward movement that a conductor makes to show which note is played with the greatest stress or force
: the first beat of a measure of music
downbeat
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of downbeat (Entry 2 of 2)
: sad or depressing : not happy or hopeful
See the full definition for downbeat in the English Language Learners Dictionary
downbeat
noundown·beat | \ ˈdau̇n-ˌbēt \
\Kids Definition of downbeat
: the first beat of a measure of music
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Time Traveler for downbeat
The first known use of downbeat was in 1766
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