Showing results for "beating"

• present participle of beat.

beating

American  

[bee-ting] / ˈbi tɪŋ /

noun

beatings plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• beatings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of beating

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

Example Sentences

Beating expectations and providing good guidance isn’t enough anymore, and it’s not entirely clear what the mark for enough is.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Beating inflation is better than losing purchasing power.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Beating Bolton and making it to my first FA Cup final was absolutely huge for me personally.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Appeared in the February 5, 2026, print edition as 'Netflix Gets a Beltway Beating'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

One day when I was visiting Mrs. Staley, she just flat-out said, "Allen, I been thinking. You know what you doing? Beating yourself up."

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• defeat
• drubbing
• slaughter
• whipping