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Showing results for "beating"
  • present participle of beat.
Synonyms

beating

American  
[bee-ting] / ˈbi tɪŋ /

noun

beatings plural
  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

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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