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Synonyms

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.
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

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.

The mobile carrier gained a net 55,000 postpaid phone connections, beating Wall Street expectations on a key industry metric that gauges new lucrative customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Llamas praised the performance of his peers who have seen the image of their profession take a beating in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Software stocks have taken a beating in recent months after AI advancements raised fears that the technology could replace services for which companies like SAP charge clients.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Total revenue rose 3% to $8.72 billion, beating calls for $8.63 billion.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

“What’ll it be?” she asked, not beating around the bush.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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.