To save this word, you'll need to log in.
up·beat | \ ˈəp-ˌbēt 
\
\Definition of upbeat
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure specifically : the last beat of the measure
2 : an increase in activity or prosperity
business that is on the upbeat
upbeat
adjectiveDefinition of upbeat (Entry 2 of 2)
: cheerful, optimistic I'm feeling upbeat today
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for upbeat
Synonyms: Adjective
- blithe,
- blithesome,
- bright,
- buoyant,
- canty
- [British dialect],
- cheerful,
- cheery,
- chipper,
- eupeptic,
- gay,
- gladsome,
- lightsome,
- sunny,
- winsome
Antonyms: Adjective
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of upbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
I like a story with an upbeat ending.
I tried to stay upbeat about losing the election.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Sevilla feels upbeat working in his kitchen: a space largely under his control, relatively safe.
—
Simran Sethi, Washington Post, "Robberies, strawberries and black-market economics: How to bake a cake in Caracas," 24 July 2019 People are ready for a turn toward the upbeat after a few dreary years.
—
Raisa Bruner, Time, "Viral Mashup Master DJ Earworm on the Past, Present and the Silly, Experimental Future of Pop," 12 Dec. 2019 Baltz was an upbeat, friendly student who went through life with joy, said Michael Pierce, the director of enology and viticulture at the Southwest Wine Center.
—
CBS News, "What we know about the California boat fire victims," 6 Sep. 2019 More Stories In the episode, Ashley O is a popular entertainer who sings upbeat, empowering lyrics aimed at young female fans.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Black Mirror’s Miley Cyrus Episode Isn’t That Far-Fetched," 6 June 2019 Solid citizen, and filled the reserve role while remaining upbeat.
—
Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "What will Don Sweeney do now with this Bruins roster?," 13 June 2019 The team of 12, seeming upbeat, coursed through a tunnel spanning roughly 32 feet that also included a feature that emulates dripping water, according to Sky News.
—
Elizabeth Zwirz, Fox News, "Thai soccer team boys rescued from cave reportedly recreate experience, navigate through fake tunnel," 6 Sep. 2018 There were two big developments on May 21 in the political universe of Bernie Sanders, one upbeat, one not-so-much.
—
Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Sanders Announces Reelection Bid as Negative Buzz Builds About Our Revolution," 22 May 2018 While some Afrocentric artists did deploy militaristic symbolism, there was also often an upbeat, peace-loving aesthetic to the genre that may have started to feel cheesy next to flashy tracksuit-wearing b-boys like Run-DMC.
—
Taylor Hosking, The Atlantic, "How a Black Panther Music Video Taps Into an Old Trend," 1 Mar. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Earlier predictions have been at least moderately more upbeat.
—
Helen Branswell, STAT, "3 challenges to watch in global health in 2020," 26 Dec. 2019 Strive to stay upbeat, no matter what. — Use music to smooth out your stress.
—
chicagotribune.com, "Managing stress during the holidays," 9 Dec. 2019 Na’im had been a strong student, an upbeat and cheerful child who avoided conflict and trouble.
—
Joseph Goldstein, New York Times, "Examining How Police Bullets Shattered a Brooklyn Family. Twice.," 26 Jan. 2020 The Look: While many other cinematographers favor a sweeping, sentimental approach, our shooting and editing style is fresh, upbeat and candid.
—
Heather Hall, Harper's BAZAAR, "BAZAAR's Little Black Book: The Top Wedding Videographers in the World," 21 Jan. 2020 Despite her illness, Jackie remained an upbeat and loyal officer until her death.
—
Claire Goodman, Houston Chronicle, "Richmond Police Department mourns death of beloved K-9 cop," 21 Jan. 2020 Always upbeat and a leader in Unified Sports, Hubbard didn’t miss a game despite being stricken before the season with partial facial paralysis.
—
Mitch Stephens, SFChronicle.com, "All-Metro football: Coach of the Year, best underclassmen, unofficial awards," 12 Jan. 2020 Remain upbeat and cheerful to avoid awkward disclosures and dramatic pronouncements.
—
Magi Helena, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Jan. 4, 2020: Aries, look your best; Capricorn, time to get organized," 4 Jan. 2020 After a short run, Wright announced plans to close the restaurant and replace it with a similar, yet more upbeat and fun version dubbed Chandler Yacht Club.
—
Tirion Morris, azcentral, "This popular Tempe brewery is opening a new location in Chandler. Here's what we know," 20 Dec. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upbeat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for upbeat
upbeat
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of upbeat
: positive and cheerful : happy and hopeful
See the full definition for upbeat in the English Language Learners Dictionary
upbeat
nounup·beat | \ ˈəp-ˌbēt \
\Kids Definition of upbeat
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a beat in music that is not accented and especially one just before a downbeat
upbeat
adjectiveKids Definition of upbeat (Entry 2 of 2)
: cheerful and positive
an upbeat story
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on upbeat
What made you want to look up upbeat? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
More Confusing Words—Quiz
- The magician
______moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- More Confusing Words—Quiz
How many of these commonly confused words do you know?
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Syn City
Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
Play the game
Share upbeat
Time Traveler for upbeat
The first known use of upbeat was in 1869
See more words from the same year