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
Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Hence, while the inflation figures didn't surprise market watchers and investors — markets really dislike unpredictability — the fact that the downbeat expectations were realized still weighed on stocks, which mostly fell on the news.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 16 July 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 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
One of the observations in a generally downbeat document was that much of the research generated by Europe’s researchers remained unexploited.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Hence, while the inflation figures didn't surprise market watchers and investors — markets really dislike unpredictability — the fact that the downbeat expectations were realized still weighed on stocks, which mostly fell on the news.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 16 July 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 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share