downbeat

noun, adj — 3 senses

downbeat

noun

/ˈdaʊnbiːt/

Etymology From down + beat.

1

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

Related terms: afterbeat, offbeat, backbeat

downbeat

adj

/daʊnˈbiːt/

Etymology Earlier downbeaten, from the phrasal verb beat down

1

Sad or pessimistic.

He sounded downbeat when asked about his future plans.

2

Cautiously optimistic.

She carried herself with a quiet downbeat grace.

Antonyms: upbeat

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.