beaten

American  

[beet-n] / ˈbit n /

adjective

1. formed or shaped by blows; hammered.

   a dish of beaten brass.

2. much trodden; commonly used.

   a beaten path.

3. defeated; vanquished; thwarted.

4. overcome by exhaustion; fatigued by hard work, intense activity, etc.

5. (of food) whipped up, pounded, pulverized, or the like.

   adding three beaten eggs.

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idioms

1. off the beaten track / path, novel; uncommon; out of the ordinary.

   a tiny shop that was off the beaten track.

beaten British  

/ ˈbiːtən /

adjective

1. defeated or baffled

2. shaped or made thin by hammering

   a bowl of beaten gold

3. much travelled; well trodden (esp in the phrase the beaten track )

4. 1. in or into unfamiliar territory

   2. out of the ordinary; unusual

5. (of food) mixed by beating; whipped

6. tired out; exhausted

7. hunting (of woods, undergrowth, etc) scoured so as to rouse game

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Other Word Forms

• underbeaten
  adjective
• well-beaten
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of beaten

before 1100; Middle English beten, Old English bēaten, past participle of bēatan to beat

Explanation

Something that's beaten has been made smooth or thin from repeated impact, like the beaten surface of a silver bracelet, or the beaten path that leads to your hideout in the woods. To make something beaten, you have to beat it — strike or hammer it repeatedly. Food can also be beaten, like the beaten egg whites you put in a cake to make it light and fluffy. In this case, they're stirred with vigor. And when a person is beaten, they're despondent or defeated: "The beaten expression on his face showed how exhausting the last tennis match had been." Beaten comes from beat and its root meaning "to strike."

Example Sentences

The confirmation of Guardiola's exit comes three days after the club were beaten to the 2025-26 Premier League title by Arsenal.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Thirteen billion dollars, beaten by a lint trap.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Northwestern, which has its own scoring sensation, Madison Taylor, and is playing on its home turf, is the only school to have beaten the Tar Heels during Humphrey’s young career.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

But actual earnings have then beaten guidance by 50%.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Perhaps more important, he’d beaten Fischer in their last three meetings and had more wins against Fischer than any living player.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• humbled
• overpowered
• overwhelmed
• routed