as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst
a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in downturn
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downbeat
Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
This year, several other art-house and repertory film organizations around the country are getting in on the downbeat, among them the Paris Theater in New York City and the Music Box in Chicago.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
The bleak survey results mirrored similarly downbeat readings in the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index, which fell 10 points in August to 125.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Adjective
The market’s downbeat start to the week follows a strong run for stocks, which pushed further into record heights last week after a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
This year, several other art-house and repertory film organizations around the country are getting in on the downbeat, among them the Paris Theater in New York City and the Music Box in Chicago.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
Noun
To put it bluntly, Alien can be downbeat material.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
The bleak survey results mirrored similarly downbeat readings in the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index, which fell 10 points in August to 125.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downbeat
Adjective
-
All that’s left is some hopeless cringe, stunt guest stars and unfunny jokes.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
All that's left is some hopeless cringe, stunt guest stars and unfunny jokes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The idea is to insulate yourself against the market’s inherent volatility, and to have sufficient cash to cover your expenses in a downturn.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Previous downturns of this nature, denoted by red arrows on the chart, resulted in consolidation phases lasting several weeks.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their sister Cynthia has a somewhat more cynical attitude, and the priceless body language that goes with it.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
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Some complain that the boisterous, anthemic version on the album belies the cynical point of view of a Vietnam veteran.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The threat of mounting risk comes as a hiring slowdown stokes recession fears and inflation proves difficult to fully contain.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
24 Oct. 2025
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Price spikes in everyday goods can foreshadow broader slowdowns, as households pull back spending on non-essentials and retailers adjust inventories.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Bills fans sounded an equally pessimistic note about next month’s game.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The pessimistic version, though?—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With his brother, Josh, Benny has built a career on his fascination with these occasionally surly characters, often men on the downswing.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
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Sales at Dave & Buster’s have been on the downswing for quite some time, and Lal acknowledged that the trend is continuing this quarter.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, the chances of this happening were unlikely, given the CRB's priority of avoiding a rebound of inflation rather than stagnation.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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However, some argued that SBMM worked too well, leading to match stagnation.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downbeat. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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