adj
Common
beaten
BEE-tuhn
Beaten (adj) means Defeated or overcome. Example: “The beaten boxer shook his rival's hand and left the ring.”
adj
1
Defeated or overcome.
"The beaten boxer shook his rival's hand and left the ring."
"Looking beaten, the candidate thanked her supporters and went home."
"The beaten team trudged off the pitch in silence."
2
Shaped, thinned, or flattened by repeated hammering.
"The blacksmith held up a bowl of beaten copper, still warm."
"The museum displays a mask made from beaten silver."
"The jeweller worked with a sheet of beaten gold."
3
Overused to the point of being unoriginal; clichéd.
"His speech was full of beaten phrases that we had all heard before."
"Avoid beaten openings like "in today's fast-paced world" when you write."
"It's a beaten metaphor, but love really is like a rose."
How to use beaten
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDefeated, hammered into shape, or (of an idea) worn out from overuse.
Common pairings
beaten path
beaten gold
off the beaten track
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more beaten
- Superlative
- most beaten
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The _____ boxer shook his rival's hand and left the ring.
Etymology
The past participle of beat, formed by adding -en.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for beaten
See all rhymes for beaten →Frequently asked questions
What does “beaten” mean?
The word “beaten” means defeated or overcome. In plain terms, defeated, hammered into shape, or (of an idea) worn out from overuse.
How do you pronounce “beaten”?
“Beaten” is pronounced BEE-tuhn (/ˈbiː.tən/ in IPA).
How do you use “beaten” in a sentence?
Here is “beaten” used in a sentence: “The beaten team trudged off the pitch in silence.”
What part of speech is “beaten”?
“Beaten” is an adjective.
Is “beaten” a common word?
“Beaten” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “beaten” have?
“Beaten” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: defeated or overcome.
What is the difference between 'beaten' and 'beat' as verb forms?
'Beaten' is the past participle of 'beat' and is used with a helping verb, as in 'has beaten' or 'was beaten.' 'Beat' is the simple past tense, as in 'yesterday they beat us.' Using 'beat' as a past participle ('we have beat them') is common in informal speech but is considered nonstandard in formal writing.
How is 'beaten' used to describe metal or eggs?
In this sense 'beaten' means shaped, thinned, or mixed by repeated striking, as in 'beaten gold' (hammered thin) or 'beaten eggs' (whisked together). It draws on the idea of working a material through repeated blows.
What is the difference between 'beaten' and 'defeated'?
Both can mean overcome in a contest, and they are often interchangeable ('a beaten team' or 'a defeated team'). 'Beaten' can sound slightly more informal and physical, while 'defeated' is more formal and is common in military or political contexts.
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