The accented beat at the beginning of a bar (indicated by a conductor with a downward stroke)
If people or their opinions are downbeat, they are deliberately casual and not enthusiastic about a situation. a downbeat assessment of 1992's economic prospects. upbeat
The maestro's downward stroke, indicating the first beat of a measure In contrast, the upbeat is unaccented
The first beat of a measure The downbeat is generally stronger than the other beats, and helps us hear the meter When musicians count the beats of a measure, they say "one" on the downbeat
The downward motion of the conductor's baton or hand, which marks the stressed beats in a bar In 4/4 time, for example, these are the first and third beats of the bar; the upbeats are the unstressed second and fourth beats in the bar
If you are feeling downbeat, you are feeling depressed and without hope. They found him in gloomy, downbeat mood. upbeat. not showing any strong feelings, especially not happy ones upbeat