beat
beet
Beat (verb) means to hit repeatedly, or to defeat someone in a contest. Example: “The chess club's youngest member beat the school champion in only twenty moves.”
verb
1
To hit repeatedly, or to defeat someone in a contest.
"The chess club's youngest member beat the school champion in only twenty moves."
"Our team beat the reigning champions in the final."
"He beat the drum in time with the music."
2
To mix ingredients rapidly, usually with a whisk or spoon.
"Beat the cream until it forms soft peaks, then fold in the berries."
"My brother beat the pancake batter with a fork because we had no whisk."
"Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy."
noun
1
A regular rhythmic pulse, especially in music.
"The dancers clapped in time to the beat of the drum."
"The bassline laid down a steady beat."
"I could feel my heart's beat quicken."
2
A journalist's or police officer's regular area of responsibility or patrol.
"The new reporter was given the education beat and spent her days visiting schools."
"The reporter has covered the crime beat for a decade."
"The officer walked the same beat every night."
adj
1
Informal: completely exhausted.
"We walked around the city all day, and now we're completely beat."
"You look beat, so why don't you sit down and rest?"
"I'm beat after that shift — I'm going straight to bed."
How to use beat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo strike, to defeat, or to whisk ingredients together; also a musical rhythm, a patrol route, or (informally) exhausted.
Common mistake
The past tense is "beat" (yesterday I beat him), but the past participle is "beaten" (he has beaten the record) — don't mix them up.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
beat someone at
beat the odds
off the beaten track
dead beat
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Word forms
- Plural
- beats
- Third person singular
- beats
- Past tense
- beated, beaten
- Comparative
- more beat
- Superlative
- most beat
- Archaic forms
- beatest, beateth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The chess club's youngest member _____ the school champion in only twenty moves.
Etymology
From Old English bēatan, meaning "to strike or pound," an ancient Germanic verb related to words for "pushing" or "striking" in several other languages.
Related words
Rhymes for beat
See all rhymes for beat →Frequently asked questions
What does “beat” mean?
The word “beat” means to hit repeatedly, or to defeat someone in a contest. In plain terms, to strike, to defeat, or to whisk ingredients together; also a musical rhythm, a patrol route, or (informally) exhausted.
How do you pronounce “beat”?
“Beat” is pronounced beet (/biːt/ in IPA).
How do you use “beat” in a sentence?
Here is “beat” used in a sentence: “Our team beat the reigning champions in the final.”
What part of speech is “beat”?
Depending on how it is used, “beat” can be a verb, a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “beat” come from?
The word “beat” comes from Old English. From Old English bēatan, meaning "to strike or pound," an ancient Germanic verb related to words for "pushing" or "striking" in several other languages.
Is “beat” a common word?
“Beat” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “beat” have?
“Beat” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to hit repeatedly, or to defeat someone in a contest.
What is the difference between beat and win?
You beat an opponent, but you win a contest. 'Beat' focuses on the person or team you defeat, as in 'We beat them 3-0'. 'Win' focuses on the prize or match itself, as in 'We won the final'. Both describe victory, but they take different objects in a sentence.
What is the past tense of beat?
'Beat' is irregular. The base form and the past tense are the same, so you say 'They beat us yesterday'. The past participle, however, is 'beaten', as in 'We had beaten them before'. Only the participle changes spelling, which is why 'beated' is never correct.
What are the different meanings of beat?
As a verb, 'beat' mainly means to strike something repeatedly or to defeat someone in a contest. It can also mean to mix vigorously, as in beating eggs, or the steady thumping of a heart. As a noun it refers to a rhythm in music. Context makes the intended sense clear.
What is an example of beat in a sentence?
In the striking sense: 'Rain beat against the windows all night'. In the contest sense: 'She beat the defending champion in straight sets'. Both are everyday uses, one describing repeated physical blows and the other a victory over an opponent. The meaning depends on the surrounding words.
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