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beating

American  
[bee-ting] / ˈbi tɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that beats, as to punish, clean, mix, etc..

    Give the rug a good beating.

  2. a defeat or reverse; loss; setback

    Several stocks took a beating in the market today.

  3. pulsation; throbbing.

    the beating of her heart.
beating British  
/ ˈbiːtɪŋ /

noun

  1. a whipping or thrashing, as in punishment

  2. a defeat or setback

  3. to be difficult to improve upon

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 Liverpool ticks all the boxes," Dublin told BBC Radio 5 Live.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Beating inflation is better than losing purchasing power.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Beating 31-year-old Putintseva gives her an 11-2 record so far this season, the most wins of any player.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

Beating jet lag is equally serious business for globe-trotting corporate bosses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

Beating the air, a winged but grounded bird, intent on the blue void it could not reach—could not even see—but which filled the valleys of the mind.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

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.