downbeat
noun
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Definition of downbeat
(Entry 1 of 2)
downbeat
adjectiveDefinition of downbeat (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for downbeat
Synonyms: Adjective
bearish, defeatist, despairing, hopeless, pessimistic
Antonyms: Adjective
hopeful, optimistic, Panglossian, Pollyanna, Pollyannaish (also Pollyannish), rose-colored, rosy, upbeat
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Examples of downbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming yearRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
Three minutes before downbeat at Unitas’s final rehearsal at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts earlier this month, the conductor was informed that the entertainment license for the evening had been revoked. — Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Ensemble dedicated to Latin American composers builds musical bridges in Boston," 25 May 2018 Over a resonant downbeat, Abel Tesfaye makes good use of his signature falsetto. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week," 2 Feb. 2018 Here Weiss’ florid pianism, drummer Fludas’ fat downbeats and bassist Vinsel’s sizable tone made for the most vivid statement of the show. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Pianist Michael Weiss evokes memories of Johnny Griffin," 22 June 2018 Three minutes before downbeat at Unitas’s final rehearsal at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts earlier this month, the conductor was informed that the entertainment license for the evening had been revoked. — Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Ensemble dedicated to Latin American composers builds musical bridges in Boston," 25 May 2018 Over a resonant downbeat, Abel Tesfaye makes good use of his signature falsetto. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week," 2 Feb. 2018 The drums take Bonham-doffing downbeats and turnarounds without remorse, across the huge six-and-a-half-minute song. — Anna Tingley, Billboard, "Queens of the Stone Age Debut New 'Villains' Single 'The Evil Has Landed': Listen," 10 Aug. 2017 In a video posted by the Kensington Palace Twitter account, Princess Kate can be seen giving strong downbeats for the world-famous opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. — Yvonne Juris, PEOPLE.com, "Kate, the Conductor! Watch the Royal Lead the Hamburg Philharmonic as the European Tour Comes to a Close," 21 July 2017 Saturday mornings will feature No Soul Train—a dance show that highlights white people’s blatant disregard for downbeats. — Michael Harriot, The Root, "Cops Release Bodycam Footage of White Privilege Gone Wild After Woman Claims Sexual Assault," 17 July 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Qualcomm gave a downbeat fourth-quarter sales forecast, indicating lingering weakness in smartphone demand while consumers wait for devices with the next-generation of wireless technology. — Ian King, Fortune, "Qualcomm’s Lower-Than-Expected Q4 Sales Forecast Nods to Consumer Excitement for 5G," 31 July 2019 What results at times suggests a fetching mix between Liz Phair and Juliana Hatfield, by way of Fiona Apple and Avril Lavigne in her most downbeat moments. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Coachella veteran Snail Mail charting a distinctive musical path," 18 Aug. 2019 The song itself has an atmospheric, downbeat chorus to contrast with the perkier vibe of the tune, sonically mirroring the lyrical conflict. — Bryan Reesman, Billboard, "311's Nick Hexum on Hitting the Road With Dirty Heads & Embracing Their Cult Status," 12 July 2019 And the tune for the 62-year-old convict who was extradited to the United States from Mexico for trial is expected to be downbeat – life behind bars. — Kevin Mccoy, USA TODAY, "Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán faces sentencing Wednesday, expected to get life behind bars," 17 July 2019 Powell’s description Wednesday of a more downbeat economic landscape led most economists to conclude that a quarter-point rate cut is a virtual certainty at the Fed’s meeting in three weeks, with many forecasting further rate cuts to come. — Washington Post, "Powell’s message to Congress: Rate cut is likely coming soon," 10 July 2019 That’s a script for a downbeat dystopian tale like HBO’s series The Leftovers, which explored the vast changes in society that were caused by just 2 percent of the population disappearing. — Noah Berlatsky, The Verge, "Spider-Man: Far From Home is saving the MCU by ignoring its continuity," 8 July 2019 Wall Street relented from more downbeat expectations for Tesla deliveries in the last few weeks after Musk downplayed demand concerns at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting and in emails to employees. — Bloomberg, latimes.com, "Elon Musk’s quest for Tesla deliveries record could be a double-edged sword," 30 June 2019 The rerelease comes as Hollywood is enduring a downbeat summer movie season so far, with the North American gross of last weekend’s top 10 films down 52% from the same period a year ago. — Randall Williams / Bloomberg, Time, "Disney is Re-Releasing Avengers: Endgame with New Footage in an Attempt to Break Avatar's Box Office Record," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downbeat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for downbeat
downbeat
noun
English Language Learners Definition of downbeat
(Entry 1 of 2)
downbeat
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of downbeat (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for downbeat in the English Language Learners Dictionary
downbeat
noun
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