downbeat

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/ˈdaʊnbiːt//daʊnˈbiːt/

noun

The accented beat at the beginning of a bar (indicated by a conductor with a downward stroke).

“She carried herself with a quiet downbeat grace.”

Opposite
upbeat
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

downbeat1

noundownbeat (plural downbeats)

plural downbeats

  1. entertainmentThe accented beat at the beginning of a bar (indicated by a conductor with a downward stroke).

downbeat2

adjectivedownbeat (comparative more downbeat, superlative most downbeat)

comparative more downbeat · superlative most downbeat

  1. Sad or pessimistic.

    He sounded downbeat when asked about his future plans.

  2. Cautiously optimistic.

    She carried herself with a quiet downbeat grace.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
upbeat

Origin

downbeat · noun

From down + beat.

Full word history & related roots →

downbeat · adjective

Earlier downbeaten, from the phrasal verb beat down

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian мрачен, песимистичен
  • мрачен (mračen)sad
  • песимистичен (pesimističen)sad
Dutch droef, pessimistisch
  • droefsad
  • pessimistischsad
Esperanto ĉefpulso
  • ĉefpulsoaccented beat
Finnish alaslyönti, synkkä
  • alaslyöntiaccented beat
  • synkkäsad
  • pessimistinensad
French temps fort, triste
  • temps fortaccented beat
  • tristesad
  • pessimistesad
German pessimistisch
  • pessimistischsad
Greek θέση
  • θέση (thési)accented beat
Japanese 表拍
  • 表拍 (omotehaku)accented beat
Polish akcentowana miara taktu
  • akcentowana miara taktuaccented beat
Turkish karamsar, kötümser
  • karamsarsad
  • kötümsersad
Welsh curiad i lawr
  • curiad i lawraccented beat

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with downbeat

completestreetmeetfeetsuitesheetheatdeletesweeteatseattreatconcretereceiptrepeatelitefleetcheatpetecompetewheatincompletedefeatretreat
All rhymes →

Anagrams

beatdown
Cite this entry
APA

downbeat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/downbeat

MLA

“downbeat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/downbeat. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “downbeat,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/downbeat.

Source: downbeat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.