noun
Common
beating
BEE-tihng
Beating (noun) means the act of repeatedly striking someone or something. Example: “The boxer took a beating in the final round.”
noun
1
The act of repeatedly striking someone or something.
"The boxer took a beating in the final round."
"The beating of the carpet sent a cloud of dust into the garden."
"Constant beating of the eggs made the mixture light and fluffy."
2
A heavy defeat.
"The home team suffered a beating in the semi-final."
"Our team took a beating in the final and lost by a huge margin."
"The champions gave their rivals a real beating on Saturday."
3
The regular pulsing of the heart.
"She could feel the steady beating of her own heart in the silence."
"After the long run, the beating of his heart slowly returned to normal."
"The doctor listened carefully to the beating of the patient's heart."
How to use beating
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA physical thrashing, a heavy loss, or the pulse of a heart.
Common pairings
take a beating
a real beating
heart beating
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Word forms
- Plural
- beatings
Fill the gap
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The boxer took a _____ in the final round.
Etymology
On a surface analysis, beat plus -ing.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for beating
See all rhymes for beating →Frequently asked questions
What does “beating” mean?
The word “beating” means the act of repeatedly striking someone or something. In plain terms, a physical thrashing, a heavy loss, or the pulse of a heart.
How do you pronounce “beating”?
“Beating” is pronounced BEE-tihng (/ˈbiːtɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “beating” in a sentence?
Here is “beating” used in a sentence: “The boxer took a beating in the final round.”
What is another word for “beating”?
Words with a similar meaning to “beating” include ass beating, ass kicking, battering, beatdown, boom-boom and clobbering.
What part of speech is “beating”?
“Beating” is a noun.
Is “beating” a common word?
“Beating” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “beating” have?
“Beating” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of repeatedly striking someone or something.
What does it mean to 'take a beating'?
Literally it means being repeatedly struck, but the phrase is often figurative. To take a beating can mean suffering a heavy defeat, loss, or damage: a team can take a beating in a match, or your savings can take a beating in a downturn. The idea is absorbing hard, repeated blows.
What is the difference between a beating and a hit?
A hit is a single blow or strike. A beating is a sustained series of blows, repeated striking rather than one impact. So one punch is a hit, but many blows delivered over a period of time, especially to hurt or overpower someone, add up to a beating.
Does 'beating' always mean violence?
No. While it often describes a physical assault, 'beating' also appears in harmless contexts. The beating of a heart is its steady pulsing; the beating of wings is their repeated flapping; beating eggs means whisking them briskly. In each case the shared idea is a repeated, rhythmic striking or motion.
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