upbeat
upbeat Lexical Profile
upbeat Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Cheerful, optimistic, and positive in tone or outlook.
"Despite the challenging economic forecast, the company's chief executive remained upbeat about future growth."
Having a fast, lively, and energetic tempo or rhythm (especially of music).
"The instructor chose an upbeat soundtrack to keep the cycling class motivated through the final sprint."
• noun
An unaccented beat in music, especially the last beat of a measure that immediately precedes the downbeat of the next measure, indicated by an upward stroke of a conductor's hand or baton.
"The vocalist enters on the upbeat just before the full orchestra joins in for the chorus."
An upward trend, improvement, or period of optimism and prosperity.
"Local retail sales ended the quarter on an upbeat as holiday shoppers returned to downtown stores."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century as a musical term referring to the upward stroke of a conductor's hand on an unaccented beat; the figurative adjective sense meaning 'optimistic' or 'cheerful' emerged in mid-20th-century American English.