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
  • Unemployment has stayed relatively low in part because of dampened demand for workers as well as a depressed supply (people aging out of the workforce as well as reductions in immigrant workers).
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
  • This time producer Brad Ingelsby tapped Mark Ruffalo as a depressed and traumatized FBI agent leading a task force investigating a series of home invasions targeting drug dens in the area.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The price of dishwashers, along with most appliances, has seen a long-term, shallow downward trend, making such purchases even more affordable.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This growth in inventory is putting downward pressure on prices, which have started to trend down.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But now, the King and the royal family have received very sad news that will change things going forward.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Shooting scenes in wide or medium shots that sometimes break into Hsiao-Lee’s harrowing point-of-view, cinematographer Yu Jing-Pin depicts a world without much color or hope, while sets by Huang Mei-Ching and Tu Shuo-Feng emphasize a sad and impoverished existence.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • And a meta-analysis of 196 scientific articles published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2023 found that people who did moderate-intensity physical activity like walking fast for 11 minutes a day had a lowered risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and several forms of cancer.
    Korin Miller, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Both Ways on Netflix The Lovebirds In the 2020 adventure comedy The Lovebirds, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play an unhappy couple on the brink of splitting up.
    James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • But surveys have also shown many reservists are unhappy with the cabinet's plans, some openly accusing the government of lacking a cohesive strategy, a post-war plan for Gaza or a clear benchmark for victory.
    Emily Rose, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Hill’s 21-year-old son told WXYZ that his whole family is heartbroken.
    Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Over the past half-decade, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been called off three times, leaving behind unrealized lineups, swampy farmlands, and heartbroken fans.
    Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • These behaviors create miserable workplace cultures that lead to a big retention and employee engagement problem.
    Ellen Whitlock Baker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But the Broncos will look to confuse him with multiple looks and make the Titans one dimensional to make his life miserable.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downcast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downcast. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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