Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [doun-beet]
- /ˈdaʊnˌbit/
- /ˈdaʊn.biːt/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [doun-beet]
- /ˈdaʊnˌbit/
Definitions of downbeat word
- noun downbeat the downward stroke of a conductor's arm or baton indicating the first or accented beat of a measure. 1
- noun downbeat the first beat of a measure. 1
- adjective downbeat gloomy or depressing; pessimistic: Hollywood movies seldom have downbeat endings. 1
- noun downbeat Pessimistic; gloomy. 1
- adjective downbeat negative, gloomy 1
- noun downbeat music: accented beat 1
Information block about the term
Origin of downbeat
First appearance:
before 1875 One of the 25% newest English words
1875-80; down1 + beat (noun)
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Downbeat
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
downbeat popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 68% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
downbeat usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for downbeat
adj downbeat
- negative — expressing or containing negation or denial: a negative response to the question.
- cheerless — Cheerless places or weather are dull and depressing.
- dejected — If you are dejected, you feel miserable or unhappy, especially because you have just been disappointed by something.
- dispirited — discouraged; dejected; disheartened; gloomy.
- gloomy — dark or dim; deeply shaded: gloomy skies.
adjective downbeat
- pessimistic — pertaining to or characterized by pessimism or the tendency to expect only bad outcomes; gloomy; joyless; unhopeful: His pessimistic outlook kept him from applying for jobs for which he was perfectly qualified.
- dark — When it is dark, there is not enough light to see properly, for example because it is night.
- bleak — If a situation is bleak, it is bad, and seems unlikely to improve.
- depressing — Something that is depressing makes you feel sad and disappointed.
- casual — If you are casual, you are, or you pretend to be, relaxed and not very concerned about what is happening or what you are doing.
noun downbeat
- metre — an instrument for measuring, especially one that automatically measures and records the quantity of something, as of gas, water, miles, or time, when it is activated.
- pace — a rate of movement, especially in stepping, walking, etc.: to walk at a brisk pace of five miles an hour.
- periodicity — the character of being periodic; the tendency to recur at regular intervals.
- tempo — Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.
- rhythm — movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.
Antonyms for downbeat
adjective downbeat
- upbeat — an unaccented beat, especially immediately preceding a downbeat.
Top questions with downbeat
- what is a downbeat?
- what is a downbeat in music?
- what does downbeat mean?
- what is the downbeat in music?
- what is the downbeat?
- what is downbeat?
- what is downbeat nystagmus?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with d
- Words starting with do
- Words starting with dow
- Words starting with down
- Words starting with downb
- Words starting with downbe
- Words starting with downbea
- Words starting with downbeat