upbeat

upbeat

See also: up-beat

English

Alternative forms

• up-beat

Etymology

up- +‎ beat

Pronunciation

• (adjective) IPA^(key): /ʌpˈbit/
• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈʌpˌbit/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːt

Adjective

upbeat (comparative more upbeat, superlative most upbeat)

1. Having a fast pace, tempo, or beat.

   The notes are easy, but it's an upbeat tune and should be played fairly quickly.

2. Having a positive, lively, or perky tone, attitude, etc.

   Though he had bad news, he ended with an upbeat forecast for the future.

   He sounded upbeat when I talked to him.

Antonyms

• (optimistic): downbeat

Translations

Having a fast pace, tempo, or beat

Finnish: nopeatempoinen, nopea (fi) French: entraînant (fr) m German: (colloquial, music) peppig

Russian: быстрый (ru) m (bystryj) Swedish: livad, upptempo Turkish: vurgusuz tempolu

Having a positive, lively, or perky tone, attitude, etc.

Finnish: myönteinen (fi), optimistinen (fi) French: optimiste (fr) German: fröhlich (de), optimistisch (de), heiter und zuversichtlich gestimmt Romanian: optimist (ro)

Russian: жизнера́достный (ru) (žiznerádostnyj), бо́дрый (ru) (bódryj) Spanish: optimista (es), positivo (es) Swedish: munter (sv), positiv (sv), upprymd (sv), uppspelt (sv), uppåt (sv), pigg (sv) Turkish: iyimser (tr), neşeli (tr)

Noun

upbeat (plural upbeats)

1. An unaccented beat at the start of a musical phrase.

   The conductor said: I give you three beats for nothing and then you come in on the upbeat.

Translations

unaccented beat at the start of a musical phrase

French: levé (fr) m or c German: Auftakt (de) m

Russian: затакт (ru) m (zatakt)

Anagrams

• beat up, beat-up