down·beat
ˈdau̇n-ˌbēt 
1
: the downward stroke of a conductor indicating the principally accented note of a measure of music
also
: the first beat of a measure
2
: a decline in activity or prosperity
: pessimistic, gloomy
a downbeat assessment
Examples of downbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming year
Recent Examples on the Web
Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
And the phrases in the singalong chorus generally start on the second beat of a measure, leading to the downbeat of the next bar; thus, they’re built from musical pickups.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2025
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
The latest data point: Shares in Lululemon on Friday sank sharply in premarket trading after the apparel maker, whose sales zoomed during the coronavirus pandemic, reported a downbeat outlook for this year.
—Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
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.
Noun
The outperformance comes as a surprise to many, especially given former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi’s downbeat assessment of European competitiveness just six months ago.
—Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
And the phrases in the singalong chorus generally start on the second beat of a measure, leading to the downbeat of the next bar; thus, they’re built from musical pickups.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Along with the downbeat economic prognostications, the Street also is looking to judge the Fed response.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
The latest data point: Shares in Lululemon on Friday sank sharply in premarket trading after the apparel maker, whose sales zoomed during the coronavirus pandemic, reported a downbeat outlook for this year.
—Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downbeat. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share