Usually means: First beat in a measure.
Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History
We found 25 dictionaries that define the word downbeat:

General (21 matching dictionaries)
  1. downbeat: Merriam-Webster
  2. downbeat: Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
  3. downbeat: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  4. downbeat: Collins English Dictionary
  5. downbeat: Vocabulary.com
  6. Downbeat, downbeat: Wordnik
  7. downbeat: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
  8. downbeat: Wiktionary
  9. downbeat: Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed.
  10. downbeat: The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus
  11. downbeat: Infoplease Dictionary
  12. downbeat: Dictionary.com
  13. downbeat: Online Etymology Dictionary
  14. DownBeat, Downbeat (disambiguation), Downbeat (magazine), Downbeat: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
  15. downbeat: Rhymezone
  16. downbeat: FreeDictionary.org
  17. downbeat: Mnemonic Dictionary
  18. downbeat: TheFreeDictionary.com
  19. downbeat: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Art (1 matching dictionary)
  1. Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary (No longer online)

Computing (1 matching dictionary)
  1. downbeat: Encyclopedia

Slang (1 matching dictionary)
  1. downbeat: The Folk File

Tech (1 matching dictionary)
  1. Rane Professional Audio Reference (No longer online)

(Note: See downbeats as well.)

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Definitions from Wiktionary (
)
American English Definition British English Definition
▸ noun:  (music) The accented beat at the beginning of a bar (indicated by a conductor with a downward stroke).
▸ adjective:  Sad or pessimistic.
▸ adjective:  Cautiously optimistic.

Similar:
accent, downstroke, thesis, acciaccatura, underscore, diminuendo, understroke, bar line, adagio, accent mark, more...

Opposite:
upbeat, positive, optimistic, happy, cheerful

Types:
pessimistic, negative, gloomy, dismal, melancholy, sad, more...

Phrases:
downbeat nystagmus, more downbeat, downbeat pronouncement, more...

Adjectives:
first, next, structural, strong, last, more, second, initial, final, heavy, big


▸ Word origin

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▸ Popular adjectives describing downbeat

▸ Popular nouns described by downbeat

▸ Words that often appear near downbeat

▸ Rhymes of downbeat

▸ Invented words related to downbeat

Similar:
accent, downstroke, thesis, acciaccatura, underscore, diminuendo, understroke, bar line, adagio, accent mark, more...

Opposite:
upbeat, positive, optimistic, happy, cheerful

Types:
pessimistic, negative, gloomy, dismal, melancholy, sad, more...

Phrases:
downbeat nystagmus, more downbeat, downbeat pronouncement, more...

Adjectives:
first, next, structural, strong, last, more, second, initial, final, heavy, big



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