downcast

/ˈdaʊnkɑːst/

//ˈdaʊnkɑːst// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"downcast" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“downcast” is uncommon English (frequency #59,356 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,356
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of the eyes, a facial expression, etc.: looking downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty.

Corpus desk

Index EN-downcast · downcast · English

downcast · rank #59,356 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,356
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Doren

Nearest frequency peer: Doren (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “downcast”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “downcast” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for downcast
PropertyValue
Headworddowncast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdaʊnkɑːst/
Letters8
Frequency rank#59,356
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “downcast” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).downcastfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Doren” (#59,355), “Drumpf” (#59,357), “Dufour” (#59,359). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “downcast” is #59,356. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

downcast is uncommon English at frequency #59,356 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈdaʊnkɑːst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for downcast, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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”)… The correct English form is downcast, spelled D-O-W-N-C-A-S-T.

Definition

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how downcast appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Briefly then heere Dido, with downe caſt phiſnomie, parled.
  2. [A]s before Empire and Arts made vvay, / (For no leſſe Harbingers vvould ſerve then they) / So they might ſtill, and point us out the place / VVhere firſt the Church ſhould raiſe her dovvn-caſt face.

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 (“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.

This word in other languages

abatido(Español)abattu(Français)niedergeschlagen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "downcast"?
"downcast" is spelled D-O-W-N-C-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdaʊnkɑːst/.
What does "downcast" mean?
As an adjective, "downcast" means: Of the eyes, a facial expression, etc.: looking downwards, usually as a sign of discouragement, sadness, etc., or sometimes modesty.
How do you pronounce "downcast"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "downcast" is /ˈdaʊnkɑːst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "downcast"?
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 des... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "downcast", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Dinklage#59,346enameled#59,366Dewsbury#59,343defecate#59,330

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list