- present participle of beat.
noun
-
a whipping or thrashing, as in punishment
-
a defeat or setback
-
to be difficult to improve upon
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beating
First recorded in 1200–50; from Middle English betynge; see beat, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Beating Chris Sutton over a full 380-game season is basically the equivalent of winning away at the Etihad: improbable, statistical chaos, and therefore deeply amusing."
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Beating the record clearly means a lot to Fernandes, who will be a key part of Portugal's World Cup squad this summer.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Beating inflation is better than losing purchasing power.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Beating Fritz propelled Musetti, 23, into the last eight at Melbourne for the first time, with clay and grass his usual forte.
From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026
Beating them hard, she skimmed forward but could not get off the ground.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.