upbeat

1 of 2

noun

up·​beat ˈəp-ˌbēt How to pronounce upbeat (audio)
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

2 of 2

adjective

: cheerful, optimistic
I'm feeling upbeat today

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
Markets broadly welcomed the upbeat posting, with shares trading nearly 8% up year-to-date and up over 30% in the past 12 months. Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 In early episodes, The Brothers Sun plays like an upbeat, if somewhat uneven, buddy comedy. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Jan. 2024 Through the rooms the white minders come and go with their upbeat and their bags of blood. Christian Wiman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Payton, 59, back from a one-year sabbatical from coaching, is the same upbeat, cocksure soul who generated so much success, including a Super Bowl crown, during 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 27 July 2023 The Frenchie did his part to keep every upbeat at the sweet picnic by performing a trick show and posing for plenty of photos. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 12 July 2023 The group then took the stage, impressing all four judges — Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara — as well as the audience with their upbeat, perfectly in-sync performance. Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 14 June 2023 Fox is very adroit at remaining upbeat and keeping things light during our time together. Brent Lang, Variety, 11 May 2023 This upbeat musical, for people 3 and older, is based on reggae giant Bob Marley's endearing song and a related children's book by his daughter Cedella. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2023
Adjective
But now, it’s become much more of a fashion statement—a graphic top that can make any outfit feel instantly peppy and upbeat. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024 That is especially true in white-collar professions like human resources and consulting, while those in occupations that require working in person — such as health care, construction and manufacturing — are more upbeat. Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The Florida Panthers’ morning skate on Thursday was a little more upbeat than a usual morning skate. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 In fact, almost 6 in 10 voters polled by CBS News described the U.S. economy under Biden as bad, even as economists' views are much more upbeat due to the nation's stronger-than-expected GDP and low unemployment. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 The 28-year-old artist sings about love over a pop and upbeat, euphoric track in her latest release, which gained points mainly in radio this week. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024 Despite the loss, the mood around SRV after the game was upbeat. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 The researchers didn’t delve into why some demographics feel more upbeat than others—but a further dig into the data sheds some light on Gen Z’s positive outlook. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024 With its traditional melody and upbeat arrangement, casual listeners of O’Connor’s roots record might have missed the subversive story Randall was telling. Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upbeat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upbeat was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near upbeat

Cite this Entry

“Upbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upbeat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

upbeat

1 of 2 noun
up·​beat ˈəp-ˌbēt How to pronounce upbeat (audio)
: an unaccented beat in a musical measure
especially : the last beat of the measure

upbeat

2 of 2 adjective
: optimistic, cheerful
a story with an upbeat ending

More from Merriam-Webster on upbeat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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