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
Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
So the stony face and downbeat tone were no real surprise.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Others, such as JPMorgan, have a more downbeat outlook on the stock.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
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Noun
The album is almost entirely instrumental, featuring a polyphonic blend of percussion, strings, keyboards, synths, and woodwinds, with André’s flute driving the downbeat.
—Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
So the stony face and downbeat tone were no real surprise.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Adjective
Red Bull is known for starting slow over a race weekend, but ramping it up during qualifying and the race, though Verstappen sounded more downbeat than usual after Friday's session at the British GP.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Others, such as JPMorgan, have a more downbeat outlook on the stock.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 30 June 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 16 Jul. 2025.
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