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.

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beating British  

/ ˈbiːtɪŋ /

noun

1. a whipping or thrashing, as in punishment

2. a defeat or setback

3. to be difficult to improve upon

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Etymology

Origin of beating

First recorded in 1200–50; from Middle English betynge; beat, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

And it seems many viewers value an element of surprise or beating the odds, as with Strictly's first blind contestant Chris McCausland winning last year.

From BBC

Napoli booked a spot in the final by beating AC Milan 2-0 on Thursday.

From Barron's

That heart began beating some 3,000 years ago in Central Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal

Only last summer she wrote off the chances of any woman beating the top men consistently as she declined a place in the PDC World Championship for the second year running.

From BBC

Aston Villa have won nine games in a row in all competitions, but can they reach double figures by beating Manchester United on Sunday?

From BBC

Related Words

• defeat
• drubbing
• slaughter
• whipping