down·beat
ˈdau̇n-ˌbēt 
1
: the downward stroke of a conductor indicating the principally accented note of a measure of music
also
: the first beat of a measure
2
: a decline in activity or prosperity
: pessimistic, gloomy
a downbeat assessment
Examples of downbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming year
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Still, at a time companies are already skittish about going public amid market volatility, the downbeat offering doesn’t give much assurance.
—Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Wall Street is mostly downbeat heading into Target 's Wednesday earnings report as the retailer battles tariffs and other headwinds.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
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Noun
Economist Jonathan Pingle at UBS said the downbeat forecast isn’t merely a function of tariffs but rather a broader view of weakness in the labor market and consumer spending and tighter expectations for fiscal spending.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Still, at a time companies are already skittish about going public amid market volatility, the downbeat offering doesn’t give much assurance.
—Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
That downgrade initially caused a spike in interest rates, but, given a slowing economy, by week’s end, rates fell back slightly with the 10 year, after peaking a 4.62% on Thursday (May 22nd) falling back to 4.50% by close of business on Friday (May 23rd),
Meanwhile, consumers have become downbeat.
—Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Wall Street is mostly downbeat heading into Target 's Wednesday earnings report as the retailer battles tariffs and other headwinds.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downbeat. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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