1
as in bowed
directed down her downcast gaze made us realize that she was shy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness I'm always a little downcast on rainy days

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of downcast She’s a housewife, always a bit downcast, or least quiet and reserved. Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Jan. 2023 In one video, irate workers surrounded a silent, downcast manager in a conference room to voice grievances and question their Covid test results. Fortune, 23 Nov. 2022 In one video, irate workers surrounded a silent, downcast manager in a conference room to voice grievances and question their COVID test results. BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2022 There also is an approach that has proven uplifting during this somewhat downcast time for the Heat. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Nov. 2022 See All Example Sentences for downcast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downcast
Adjective
  • The composer also added synths to his orchestral score, as well as bowed metal, where a violin bow is rubbed against metal instruments like a cowbell or a Vibraphone, for when Roz has a particularly intense feeling.
    Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Jeremy Strong forwent a classic suit and tie in favor of a bowed necktie, giving his tailored look the perfect dash of whimsy.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 June 2024
Adjective
  • Screenshot from a July 1 TikTok video of a depressed golden retriever waiting for her dog dad to return 1 1/2 years after a breakup.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
  • The law expands opportunity zones and extends tax benefits for investing in inner cities and economically depressed rural areas.
    Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • This was the eighth orbital launch of the year by a Russian rocket, continuing a downward trend in launch activity for the Russian space program in recent years.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
  • Massachusetts also saw a downward trend in all drug overdose deaths, which fell 11% in 2024 compared to a 3% drop nationwide.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • That's the sad reality facing many dogs in the wider shelter system.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
  • Know that all feelings are OK Some kids might be very sad or might be scared, and some kids might not have thought about this at all.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • This gives the creditor an additional target to pursue and make very unhappy which can indirectly put pressure on the debtor to pay the judgment.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Circulation increased and the publication won two Pulitzer Prizes, but the owner, conservative Harry Guggenheim, was unhappy with the paper’s shift to the left, and he and Moyers were divided over the Vietnam War and the 1968 presidential election.
    Carmel Dagan, Variety, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Raymond Cheadle, Honesty’s great-uncle, told WUSA the family, including the girl’s dad, is heartbroken.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
  • Pepe has the power to make two heartbroken Islanders immediately forget about their old connections.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • For now, this is DeVries on the job: intent but measured, teeth ready to clamp down on his tongue, establishing standards while also very much trying to make sure his team isn’t miserable from the beginning.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • His Panthers opened the season with two miserable losses, complete with booing from fans in the home opener, and the 23-year-old soon became the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era to be benched for non-injury reasons.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • The pair's scenes are stunningly well-written, tasking the actors with navigating a whirlwind of anger, frustration, melancholy, and love in tight, uncomfortable spaces.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 July 2025
  • The film’s odd tone — propulsive yet melancholy, cutting yet reflective — seems to embody the fact that nothing ever stays the same.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downcast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downcast. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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