downbeat
downbeat Lexical Profile
downbeat Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Pessimistic, gloomy, or discouraging in tone or outlook.
"The chief economist gave a decidedly downbeat assessment of the housing market for the coming year."
Relaxed, restrained, or understated in style or manner.
"The actor was praised for his quiet, downbeat performance that avoided any melodrama."
• noun
In music, an accented beat, usually the first beat of a measure, indicated by the downward stroke of a conductor's hand or baton.
"The orchestra waited attentively for the conductor's downbeat before launching into the symphony's opening chord."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century as a compound of 'down' and 'beat', originally referring to the downward stroke of a musical conductor's baton on the first beat of a measure. The figurative adjective sense meaning 'gloomy' or 'pessimistic' emerged in American English in the 1930s as a direct contrast to 'upbeat'.