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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as in downturn
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downbeat
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024
Others are downbeat and worry that utter obliteration could be afoot.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Long periods go by where Fishman doesn’t hit the downbeat.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vulture, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for downbeat 
Adjective
The downbeat, tender record arrives alongside a live performance video filmed at Young Space in London.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024
Others are downbeat and worry that utter obliteration could be afoot.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
The trio’s sixth record is charmingly irritable in both of its moods: hopped up on fluffy coffee while cracking baseball jokes, or dragging out downbeats and lamenting power structures to goad listeners with mounting anticipation.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Long periods go by where Fishman doesn’t hit the downbeat.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vulture, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for downbeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downbeat
Adjective
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But as dire as all of this is, the situation is not hopeless.—
Lawrence Norden,
TIME,
12 Feb. 2025
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Cancer: Henry Roth from 50 First Dates As a hopeless romantic with a nurturing heart, Henry Roth embodies the personality traits of a Cancer.—
Athena Sobhan,
People.com,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Overall, mortgage rates are expected to drift modestly lower to the mid-to-low 6 percent range by year-end, though unexpected labor market or economic downturns could cause rates to fall more quickly.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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Bloomberg | Getty Images Kering is the latest European luxury group to report earnings over recent weeks, as investors look for signs of a revival in a sector hampered by a downturn in consumer spending, particularly in the key Chinese market.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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He’s been given every reason to be angry, frustrated, and cynical, toward the specific people coming after him and the world at large.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
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Israel's President Isaac Herzog described the release ceremony as cynical and vicious.—
Hussam al-Masri,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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An adjoining 35-story tower is also planned and could be the next major office tower to break ground during a slowdown in new construction.—
Alexandria Sands,
Axios,
13 Feb. 2025
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Both of Joann’s bankruptcy filings seen over the last year arrived amid some slowdowns in discretionary spending — notably with consumers taking a step back from at-home crafts, at least relative to the early COVID-19 pandemic boom.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Trump administration, however, had a more pessimistic view, pointing to an annual benchmark revision released Friday showing there were 589,000 fewer jobs added to the economy in 2024 than previously tallied.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN,
7 Feb. 2025
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The most pessimistic years have been the last two, when it was set at 90 seconds to midnight, in part because of global nuclear and political tensions, COVID-19, climate change and the threat of biological weapons.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The band was still on a commercial downswing though, and Presto suffers from slick, unflattering production and some uncharacteristically bland lyrics.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
12 Feb. 2025
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The next upswing is inevitably followed by a downswing, and the cycle seemingly never ends.—
Jovan Buha,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But bleak and uncertain as things seem right now, Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to lose Tampa Bay, the No. 11 media market, which is why the hope is for a deep pocket owner (or owners) from Tampa to emerge and the Tampa stadium plan near Ybor City can be revived.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2025
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Suicide is pretty bleak for a Super Bowl spot, and mental health, in general, is a sensitive topic.—
Matthew Pittman,
The Conversation,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Last year, the offense struggled with stagnation due to a lack of ball facilitation and long-range shooting.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
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Since founding Career + Leadership Coaching in 2018, Erin has empowered more than 300 motivated professionals to break through stagnation and unlock their full potential.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near downbeat
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downbeat. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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