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Synonyms

upbeat

American  
[uhp-beet] / ˈʌpˌbit /

noun

Music.

  1. an unaccented beat, especially immediately preceding a downbeat.

  2. the upward stroke with which a conductor indicates such a beat.

adjective

  1. optimistic; happy; cheerful.

    television dramas with predictably upbeat endings.
upbeat British  
/ ˈʌpˌbiːt /

noun

  1. music

    1. a usually unaccented beat, esp the last in a bar

    2. the upward gesture of a conductor's baton indicating this Compare downbeat

  2. an upward trend (in prosperity, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. informal marked by cheerfulness or optimism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of upbeat

1865–70; 1950–55 upbeat for def. 3; up- + beat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even as new signs of economic strain pile up, Federal Reserve officials are sticking to an upbeat forecast for growth, and they’re pointing to artificial intelligence to explain why.

From Barron's

Even as new signs of economic strain pile up, Federal Reserve officials are sticking to an upbeat forecast for growth, and they’re pointing to artificial intelligence to explain why.

From Barron's

While consumers’ expectations for inflation and interest rates surged in March to levels not seen since last August, upbeat feelings about the labor market offset those worries.

From MarketWatch

Momentum is expected to continue through next year, which is one reason why some analysts are so upbeat.

From MarketWatch

The upbeat vibe is markedly different from the apocalyptic, at times murderous, sci-fi of today.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.