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
as in downturn
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downbeat
Rachel Barber, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Think cheerful puppy photos for a positive mood, and more downbeat images of dogs in difficult situations for the negative.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2025
At some point, the film eventually goes through the motions until its inevitable downbeat climax, at which point its dramatic shortcomings become difficult to ignore.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Adjective
Analysts widely expected the move after private-sector reports signaled further cooling in the labor market, and the Fed’s own Beige Book delivered a downbeat assessment of the economy in November.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Think cheerful puppy photos for a positive mood, and more downbeat images of dogs in difficult situations for the negative.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
At 1:35, the track thrives on a trashy downbeat and swaggering vocal line that suddenly morph into an EDM outro.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2025
At some point, the film eventually goes through the motions until its inevitable downbeat climax, at which point its dramatic shortcomings become difficult to ignore.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downbeat
Adjective
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Other people were staring at the ground, hopeless.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
13 Jan. 2026
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What lies ahead can’t possibly be worse, however, than the embarrassing false starts, the constant churn of organizational dysfunction and the thin, hopeless gruel that Vancouver has served up over the past decade.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leave it to the ever-optimistic Raffaello Napoleone, chief executive officer of Pitti Uomo and its parent company Pitti Immagine, to send a positive message to fashion professionals even amid a global downturn in luxury spending that has yet to reverse its course.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
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While projections of revenue growth are welcome, the overheated nature of the stock market and California’s reliance on capital gains and income tax as revenues make California state government especially vulnerable to downturns.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This adaptation of the popular RPG could have been a cynical cash grab, but writer-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley chose the right approach by crafting a loving tribute to what makes the game so addictive without taking it too seriously.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Jan. 2026
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Daria The monotone, cynical, ultimate critic of suburban life, popularity, and high school.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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According to forecasts from Bain & Company, the luxury slowdown is set to end in 2026, as the industry returns to growth, which could spell an end to the reset.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
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Forecasters predicted a brief slowdown in precipitation in the early afternoon.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Forecasting is never foolproof, but since the pandemic, professional forecasters have been mostly on target, if a little pessimistic.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Still, Wall Street is pessimistic about Tesla shares this year.—
Jeran Wittenstein,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Abbott only made the series cut this year (Brunson is still nominated as an executive producer), but her acting snub signals that the aging comedy, currently in its fifth season, is on the downswing with awards bodies.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Dec. 2025
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Many smaller and regional colleges have reported downswings, especially among master’s and doctoral students.—
Collin Binkley,
Fortune,
17 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.—
John Penner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The stagnation of the 2025 offensive system supplied ample evidence that Sirianni’s next hire should be external.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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More than 500 people are reported to have died as the regime — weakened by sanctions, economic stagnation, and recent attacks by the US and Israel — moved against the demonstrations, the most serious threat against the authorities in years.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downbeat. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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