beat

1 : to strike repeatedly:

a : to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain He was arrested for beating his wife. —often used with up … thugs and brutes who beat up their victims without compunction …— J. H. Plumb

b : to walk on : tread beat the pavement looking for work

c : to strike directly against forcefully and repeatedly : dash against waves beating the shore beat the door with her fists

d : to flap or thrash at vigorously a trapped bird beating the air

e hunting : to strike at in order to rouse game beating a hedgerow also : to range over in or as if in quest of game … beat the woods and rouse the bounding prey … — Matthew Prior

f : to mix by stirring : whip beat the eggs —often used with up

g : to strike repeatedly in order to produce music or a signal beat a drum

2a : to drive or force by blows beat back his attackers

b : to pound into a powder, paste, or pulp

c : to make by repeated treading or driving over beat a path through the woods

d(1) : to dislodge by repeated hitting beat dust from the carpet

(2) : to lodge securely by repeated striking beat a stake into the ground

e : to shape by beating beat swords into plowshares especially : to flatten thin by blows

f : to sound or express especially by drumbeat beating out a rhythm on the conga

3 : to cause to strike or flap repeatedly a bird beating its wings

4a : overcome, defeat beat the insurgents in a bloody battle beating your opponent in chess They beat us 14 to 3. also : surpass She beat the old record by three seconds. —often used with out Someone else beat her out for the job.

b : to prevail despite beat the odds

c : bewilder, baffle it beats me how she does it

d(1) : fatigue, exhaust

(2) : to leave dispirited, irresolute, or hopeless Years of failure had beaten him down.

e : cheat, swindle beat him out of his inheritance

5a(1) : to act ahead of usually so as to forestall I was going to make the suggestion, but she beat me to it.

(2) journalism : to report a news item in advance of beat the other networks

b : to come or arrive before I beat him to the finish line.

c : circumvent beat the system

d sports : to outmaneuver (a defender) and get free The player attempts to beat the defender and score.

e sports : to score against (a goalkeeper)

6 : to produce (music or a signal) by striking something repeatedly : to indicate by beating beat the tempo

Definition of beat

WORD OF THE DAY