DOWNBEAT Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

downbeat 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of downbeat

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

downbeat

2 of 2

noun

as in downturn

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of downbeat

Adjective

But the series producers make great use of their access with a powerful scene that catches the team at its most downbeat, having crashed out of the Nations League with a loss to Panama. — Beau Dure, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 Finding clever new ways to tell a familiar story of crooked cops and small-town corruption, the movie calls to mind both the deadpan thrillers of the Coen brothers and the downbeat ’70s crime flicks of French helmer Alain Corneau. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

Noun

As has been the norm this summer, seasonal storms kept attendees guessing about whether the July 4 tradition would go forward until downbeat. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 If Hellebuyck had posted better results or Comrie had played better during Hellebuyck’s absence, this offseason wouldn’t begin on such a downbeat. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for downbeat

Recent Examples of Synonyms for downbeat

Adjective

The 41-year-old Portuguese footballer managed to put two past a hopeless Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
The conflict feels contemporary without growing too cynical, and the core relationship stakes seem real without skewing hopeless.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 June 2026

Definition of hopeless

Noun

But Reddick shouldn’t yet be counted out because his recent downturn is more due to rotten luck than substandard performance.

— Jess Bryant, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Europe often moves the other way, hoarding labor through downturns, and analysts count that instinct among the reasons its productivity has recently stalled.

— Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of downturn

Adjective

His willingness to move to Rio de Janeiro upon taking the job endeared him to the cynical public, as did his decision to call up Neymar to his squad to quieten the noise the forward’s potential exclusion would have brought with it.

— Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Against the run of play, the Atlas Lions won a free kick near the corner of the box after Luc De Fougerolles was booked for a cynical challenge.

— Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Definition of cynical

Noun

That puts more pressure on new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and his colleagues, a dissent-happy bunch over the past year, to consider whether a slowdown in jobs or an uptick in inflation is the bigger risk to the economy.

— Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
Michelle Monaghan is making midlife look less like a slowdown and more like a second wind.

— Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 2 July 2026

Definition of slowdown

Noun

Chipmakers are particularly vulnerable to this downswing, contrasting their recent strong performance, amidst ongoing concerns about a potential AI bubble.

— John Werner, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
The Lions moved on from veteran offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, a once-reliable player on the downswing of his career, who struggled at center last season.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026

Definition of downswing

Adjective

Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Kehoe pointed to the state’s bleak finances in a statement explaining his cuts on Tuesday.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

Definition of bleak

Noun

The former Scottish oil capital has suffered thousands of job losses and economic stagnation following the oil industry’s decline and has struggled to build the same momentum in offshore wind and hydrogen.

— Heather Farmbrough, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Fatigue with the stagnation inherent in contemporary democratic institutions is among the key factors that make the promise to break through intransigence by autocratic leaders attractive to a plurality of voters.

— Wendell Wallach, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026