beat down
Britishverb
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informal (tr) to force or persuade (a seller) to accept a lower price
I beat him down three pounds
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(intr) (of the sun) to shine intensely; be very hot
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Force or drive down; defeat or subdue. For example, “And finally to beat down Satan under our feet” ( The Book of Common Prayer , 1552). [c. 1400]
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Strike violently, as in the The sun kept beating down on us all day long . [Mid-1800s]
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beat someone down . Make someone lower a price, as in He's always trying to beat us down . Economist Jeremy Bentham used this idiom in 1793: “Thus monopoly will beat down prices.” [ Slang ; late 1700s]
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.
Workday’s stock has been beaten down by artificial-intelligence fears, and Tuesday’s earnings report only furthered those concerns.
From MarketWatch
Software earnings from several companies this week come at a crucial time for a sector that’s been beaten down amid growing artificial intelligence concerns.
From Barron's
Put the beat down to surging demand for Invisalign and other dental products.
From Barron's
The late-afternoon sun beats down on our backs as we study the bus routes.
From Literature
Trade Desk’s stock has been beaten down lately.
From MarketWatch
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.
