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

• hopeless
• cynical
• pessimistic
• bleak
• despairing
• depressing
• negative

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

So the stony face and downbeat tone were no real surprise. —Steve Madeley, New York Times, 21 May 2025

This year, several other art-house and repertory film organizations around the country are getting in on the downbeat, among them the Paris Theater in New York City and the Music Box in Chicago. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025

Adjective

Stocks are coming off a downbeat session Tuesday as the Israel-Iran conflict mounted. —Sean Conlon,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 17 June 2025

Both cumbersome and downbeat, Final Reckoning raises the global stakes but suffers from pitting Ethan and the gang against a faceless, personality-free foe, an AI villain named the Entity introduced in the previous film. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 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