- 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.
One hell of a beating is unlikely on Saturday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
Egypt achieved their first-ever World Cup win before later reaching the last 16 teams at the global spectacle for the first time after beating Australia on penalties.
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
Rivera said that clean-up began Monday and the company is moving as quickly as possible with a goal of beating the city’s 45-day timeline to complete the process.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
They held Brazil before beating Scotland, the Netherlands and Canada to set up another meeting with France.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
It had taken quite a beating in the barrel.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
