Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

downbeat

/ˈdaʊnbiːt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.50 in modern English

Syllables
down-beat
IPA
/ˈdaʊnbiːt/
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The accented beat at the beginning of a bar (indicated by a conductor with a downward stroke).

adj

Sad or pessimistic.

adj

Cautiously optimistic.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From down + beat.

Inflected Forms

downbeats (plural) more downbeat (comparative) most downbeat (superlative)

Frequently Paired Words

afterbeat offbeat backbeat

Antonyms

upbeat

Rhymes With

street meet st eat complete beat feet sweet heat seat treat meat

Questions

How do you pronounce downbeat?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdaʊnbiːt/.
What does downbeat mean?
The accented beat at the beginning of a bar (indicated by a conductor with a downward stroke).
Where does downbeat come from?
From down + beat.

How to pronounce downbeat

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “downbeat”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdaʊnbiːt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “downbeat”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “downbeat” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.