downbeat

[ doun-beet ]

noun

, Music.

1. the downward stroke of a conductor's arm or baton indicating the first or accented beat of a measure.
2. the first beat of a measure.

adjective

1. gloomy or depressing; pessimistic:

   Hollywood movies seldom have downbeat endings.

downbeat

/ ˈdaʊnˌbiːt /

noun

1. music the first beat of a bar or the downward gesture of a conductor's baton indicating this Compare upbeat

adjective

1. informal.
   depressed; gloomy
2. informal.
   relaxed; unemphatic

Word History and Origins

Origin of downbeat¹

1875–80; down ¹ + beat (noun)

Example Sentences

The crowd was already downbeat.

From Los Angeles Times

The desolation of Kristofferson's downbeat delivery tells you this song is about much more than a bad hangover.

From BBC

From the first downbeat to the last, audience members danced and bobbed their heads, bearing a resemblance to the nearby ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

Whisked out to Los Angeles and signed to Atlantic Records, she released her first EP, a downbeat, singer-songwriter affair, in 2017.

From BBC

The last days of the San Francisco Nordstrom, known for its shoes and its service, were downbeat.

From Los Angeles Times