- 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.
See Examples For:
The Springboks have remained world number one since November 2024, defeating England, Scotland and Wales in July before beating Argentina in Buenos Aires.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Earlier this month Burger King reported an 8.5% increase in U.S. same-store sales over its most recent quarter, beating McDonald’s results by the largest margin in at least two years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
For the first time since beating his cancer into remission, radio play-by-play broadcaster Charley Steiner called a complete game for the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"We have two hearts beating in our chests," Burghardt, the mayor, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
I can almost hear my heart beating as I strain to detect the source of the noise.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Later it took further beatings as they worked out how the 8,000-pound horse could be dragged over dunes and log rollers by actors with ropes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Cook took bruises and beatings during his investigations, which saw him tackle injustice and stand up for victims of crime.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
“People don’t have the bandwidth to respond with the kind of outrage that they would when you saw the beatings at Pan Pacific Park,” said Abdullah, referring to the LAPD’s response to protests in 2020.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2025
As one British study titled "Banter, bollockings and beatings" made clear, an often macho culture can prevail, including bizarre induction rituals.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2024
Within two, three beatings of its wings it was on its way.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
