downcast

Meaning

Adj

1. Of the eyes, a facial expression, etc.: looking downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty.
2. Of a person or thing: cast or thrown to the ground.
3. Of a thing: directed downwards.
4. (figuratively) Of a person: feeling despondent or discouraged.
5. (figuratively) Of a person or thing: defeated, overthrown; also, destroyed, ruined.

Noun

Synonym of downthrow (“a depression of the strata on one side of a fault; also, the degree of downward displacement in such a fault”).

Noun

1. (countable) An act of looking downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty; hence (uncountable, archaic), dejection, melancholy.
2. (archaic, countable, uncountable) An act, or the situation, of being cast or thrown to the ground.
3. (archaic, countable, figuratively, uncountable) A defeat, an overthrow; also, an act of destruction or ruin.
4. (countable) A cast (“change of expression of a data type”) from supertype to subtype.
5. (attributive, countable) A ventilating shaft down which air passes in circulating through a mine.

Verb

1. (transitive) To turn (the eyes) downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty.
2. (transitive) To cast or throw (something) downwards; also, to drop or lower (something).
3. (transitive) To demolish or tear down (a building, etc.).
4. (figuratively, transitive) To make (someone) feel despondent or discouraged; to discourage, to sadden.
5. (transitive) To cast (“change the expression of”) (a data type) from supertype to subtype.
6. (Scotland, transitive) To reproach or upbraid (someone); also, to taunt (someone).
7. (obsolete, transitive) To depose or overthrow (a leader, an institution, etc.); also (sometimes reflexive), to bring down (oneself or someone) from an exalted position; to humble.

Opposite of

upcast

Synonyms

depressed

sad

☹️

dejected

dispirited

downhearted

doleful

despondent

gloomy

melancholy

crestfallen

down

low-spirited

miserable

sorrowful

cheerless

blue

mournful

low

unhappy

☹️

down in the mouth

impair

down-hearted

emaciated

chapfallen

weaken

grim

discouraged

saddened

be sad

chopfallen

distressed

weary

😩

wistful

woebegone

woeful

worried

😟

be depressed

be helpless

be sorrowful

crest-fallen

pain

bent down

full of grief

be at one’s wit end

feel dejected

hung down

cut-up

be miserable

geknickt

constrain

Translations

niedergeschlagen

abattu

alicaído

abatido

triste

☹️

neerslachtig

treurig

☹️

moedeloos

مكتئب

betrübt

démoralisé

triste

☹️

geknickt

traurig

☹️

alacaigut

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈdaʊnkɑːst/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: doun-casten

Inherited from Middle English: downcast

Cognate with Middle English: casten

In summary

The adjective is derived from Middle English doun-casten, *adoun-casten (“(adjective) cast down, dejected; (verb) to break down (something); to overcome (someone); to overturn (something)”), from down (“in a downward direction; (figurative) to destruction”), adoun (“downward”) + casten (“to throw (something), fling, hurl; to overcome (someone), defeat, overpower; [etc.]”) (from Old Norse kasta (“to cast, throw”), from Proto-Germanic *kastōną (“to throw”), from *kas- (“to throw, toss; to bring up”); further etymology uncertain), modelled similarly to other constructions in Middle English such as adoun-throwen (“to throw down”) and adoun-werpen (“to throw down”)). The English word is analysable as down- (prefix meaning ‘lower direction or position’) + cast (“that has been thrown”, adjective).
The noun is derived from the adjective.