DOWNBEAT Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

downbeat 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of downbeat

as in hopeless

emphasizing or expecting the worst a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming year

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

downbeat

2 of 2

noun

as in downturn

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Dissimilar Words

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 downbeat

Adjective

The next morning, back in my group, the atmosphere was downbeat. — Esther King, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026 But, leaving Monza, there was much more of a downbeat tone from Hamilton about his title chances against Antonelli, the driver who replaced him at Mercedes. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Noun

The Kyrie opens with a strong D-major chord in the large orchestra that seems an obvious downbeat but turns out to be an upbeat. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026 The physical thing is universal, like, downbeat is always down in every part of the world. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downbeat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downbeat

Adjective

Pettus said watching Patterson's progress and seeing her family in a home of their own has been especially meaningful after a period that once seemed hopeless.

— Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Approximately 18% of all Latino high school students have seriously contemplated suicide and 42% of Latino youths reported constantly feeling sad or hopeless, recent congressional studies found.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of hopeless

Noun

While investors get paid, the practice of private equity sponsors adding more debt to companies — known as dividend recapitalizations — risks weakening their ability to invest or weather future downturns in trading.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
The downturn on Friday came amid concern about whether the AI company Anthropic, soon set to go public, will be able to maintain its revenue momentum, Crisafulli said in a note to investors.

— Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of downturn

Adjective

This time, Michael sounds less idealistic and much more cynical.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Goor and Del Tredici are gearing up to debut their next NBC sitcom, a single-camera workplace comedy starring Jake Johnson as a cynical detective working at a past-its-prime private investigator agency in Hollywood.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of cynical

Noun

Now, by reimagining live shopping for the very environment that accelerated its slowdown, TikTok Shop is seeing sizable gains.

— Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
That 8% revenue growth rate is a real slowdown compared with the 27% surge of the second quarter, where equities trading and deal-making exceeded expectations.

— Hugh Son,Laya Neelakandan,Leslie Picker,Ritika Shah, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of slowdown

Adjective

Vollmann was also pessimistic, relating that feeling comes from more than America’s current political issues, but also from the world’s environmental problems.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and University of Southampton said last year that Antarctica's emperor penguin population may be declining faster than even the most pessimistic predictions.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of pessimistic

Noun

The real tests are here Miami has already beaten a Wake Forest team that is looking like a dark horse team in the ACC and easily handled Clemson, which is on the downswing but has been one of the league’s top teams for the better part of the decade.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
The story has been updated to the early 2000s, where diehard baseball fan Joe Boyd dreams of his team, the Baltimore Orioles, which has been on downswing, returning to glory.

— Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of downswing

Adjective

Unlike Gregor Samsa who is confined to his room after transforming into a huge insect, the protagonist still has to go to work, a dark and bleak absurdity that lays bare the alienation, isolation, and hypocrisy of modern life.

— Deadline, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Providing a faint ray of hope in this otherwise bleak start to life, the five baby orangutans have been settling into their new surroundings in Odisha at the Nandankanan Zoo.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bleak

Noun

Many countries are too unstable, underdeveloped, or corrupt to attract foreign capital and will likely stay trapped in stagnation.

— Jared Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
The years that followed were plagued by stagnation and dissipation of any peace process, regular wars with Hamas, and a heavily nationalist government in Israel.

— Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026