1
: an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure
specifically
: the last beat of the measure
2
: an increase in activity or prosperity
business that is on the upbeat
: cheerful, optimistic
I'm feeling upbeat today
Examples of upbeat in a Sentence
Adjective
I like a story with an upbeat ending.
I tried to stay upbeat about losing the election.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
That track, which is now more than 20 years old, supplies the chorus of the new upbeat, dance-pop tune, and it’s worked well enough to entice a large audience to purchase the cut.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025
Despite these concerns, Mr. Allen of American Log Handlers remains upbeat.
—Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upbeat
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Noun
Duchin’s bouncy upbeat belied their experience that love is rarely unadulterated joy.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
That track, which is now more than 20 years old, supplies the chorus of the new upbeat, dance-pop tune, and it’s worked well enough to entice a large audience to purchase the cut.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
By Ian King | Bloomberg Broadcom Inc. shares jumped after the chip supplier for Apple Inc. and other big tech companies gave an upbeat forecast, reassuring investors that spending on artificial intelligence computing remains healthy.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025
Despite these concerns, Mr. Allen of American Log Handlers remains upbeat.
—Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upbeat
Cite this Entry
“Upbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upbeat. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upbeat
1 of 2 noun
up·beat
ˈəp-ˌbēt 
: an unaccented beat in a musical measure
especially
: the last beat of the measure
upbeat
2 of 2 adjective
: optimistic, cheerful
an upbeat story
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