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downcast

Pronunciation: /ˈdaʊnkɑːst/

The English word “downcast” has 18 meanings listed here.

adjective

  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. Of a person: feeling despondent or discouraged.
  5. Of a person or thing: defeated, overthrown; also, destroyed, ruined.

noun

  1. Synonym of downthrow (“a depression of the strata on one side of a fault; also, the degree of downward displacement in such a fault”).
  2. An act of looking downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty; hence (uncountable, archaic), dejection, melancholy.
  3. An act, or the situation, of being cast or thrown to the ground.
  4. A defeat, an overthrow; also, an act of destruction or ruin.
  5. A cast (“change of expression of a data type”) from supertype to subtype.
  6. A ventilating shaft down which air passes in circulating through a mine.

verb

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

Etymology

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…

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