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:
Gross booking value rose 21% to $27.7 billion, beating Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $26.43 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Her roots are closely tied to LA and its history, even working as a community organiser during the violent 1992 riots over police brutality in the beating of Rodney King, who was black.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Stocks endured a broad beating on Thursday, unlike anything seen in years, as fears of an end to the artificial-intelligence trade compelled investors to sell first and ask questions later.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
Cardiopulmonary arrest, also called cardiac arrest, is when a person’s heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
A roar shook the cave, beating him to his knees.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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
Not from Gebu, not from beatings and hunger, not from Ibni and his hateful wineskins.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
