1
as in bowed
directed down her downcast gaze made us realize that she was shy

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2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness I'm always a little downcast on rainy days

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of downcast 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 There also is an approach that has proven uplifting during this somewhat downcast time for the Heat. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 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 See All Example Sentences for downcast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downcast
Adjective
  • No racist stereotypes, no demeaning facial expressions, no bowed heads, and no broken bodies from the old Hollywood.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
  • The composer also added synths to his orchestral score, as well as bowed metal, where a violin bow is rubbed against metal instruments like a cowbell or a Vibraphone, for when Roz has a particularly intense feeling.
    Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The writer, known for her trailblazing work in confessional poetry, was clinically depressed and died by suicide at age 30.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Barbeau had been living alone, depressed and isolated since Jessica’s death.
    Jon Michael Varese, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That resulted in the sharp downward move in the September figure of 43,000.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Demand for workers has been on a downward slope for much of this year.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • One purveyor of fairy tales that wasn’t afraid of a sad ending?
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Sade Bess, a Combs fan from Brooklyn, left the court’s overflow observation room looking both sad and relieved.
    Jennifer Peltz, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This was highlighted by the fact that Psyche’s April 2024 message – beamed from a distance of 225 million kilometers – reached Earth at a lowered 25 megabits per second.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Most commonly that’s expressed as a shrinking number of cable viewers and the lowered subscription and ad revenue that comes with it.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Smart, much like Georgia’s fan base, is pretty unhappy after yet another loss to Alabama.
    Seth Emerson, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • While there are reasons to be unhappy with the performance, each win in the NFL is hard to get.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The most painful part, the tragedy of our lives, was that Brenda was heartbroken.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This isn't the first time the internet has been left heartbroken when a dog didn't want to play.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The same goes for Treinen, who endured a miserable September, allowing 12 runs (10 earned) in 9 1/3 innings.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
  • And so, a miserable team performance was cemented into a 26-21 loss, the team’s first of the year.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downcast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downcast. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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