downcast

adjective

down·​cast ˈdau̇n-ˌkast How to pronounce downcast (audio)
1
: low in spirit : dejected
2
: directed downward
with downcast eyes

Examples of downcast in a Sentence

There were a lot of downcast faces in the crowd. her downcast gaze made us realize that she was shy
Recent Examples on the Web Its consumers are downcast, with youth unemployment rampant. Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2024 Their faces were downcast or covered by their hands. Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2023 With his offhanded singsong delivery, spare instrumentation and arsenal of songs that manage to be simultaneously downcast and extravagant, Drake has wielded an outsized influence on the sound of mainstream hip-hop and even R&B the past decade. Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 9 July 2023 She’s a housewife, always a bit downcast, or least quiet and reserved. Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Jan. 2023 In one video, irate workers surrounded a silent, downcast manager in a conference room to voice grievances and question their Covid test results. Fortune, 23 Nov. 2022 In one video, irate workers surrounded a silent, downcast manager in a conference room to voice grievances and question their COVID test results. BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2022 On Tuesday morning, Buster, wearing a downcast expression, pulled up in his gray GMC Yukon outside the Georgia apartment, then carried a basket of laundry inside before leaving. Fox News, 14 Nov. 2022 One of the Elizabeth II loans here (stamped with the insignia of her great-grandfather, Edward VII) is a drawing by Hans Holbein, depicting a woman with downcast eyes and a slight double chin. Jason Farago, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downcast.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1521, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of downcast was in 1521

Dictionary Entries Near downcast

Cite this Entry

“Downcast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downcast. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

downcast

adjective
down·​cast -ˌkast How to pronounce downcast (audio)
1
: being in a state of lowered confidence or courage : dejected
2
: directed down
a downcast glance

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