battering

noun

bat·​ter·​ing ˈba-tə-riŋ 

1

: violent physical abuse that usually involves the act of striking someone repeatedly or heavily in order to cause injury

Feminists turned violence against women, previously a well-kept secret, into a public political issue; made rape, incest, battering and sexual harassment understood as crimes; and got public funding for shelters for battered women.

—The Nation

2

: a damaging experience or situation : an injury, setback, or defeat

That was the year Canada rebounded from a 28–4 battering in the round-robin to beat the U.S. 17–16 in the championship final …

—Bob Kravitz

While her confidence took a battering [=was damaged], she kept a game face throughout the season.

—Sally Bedell Smith

Examples of battering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Certainly, accountability in the courts can follow, but paper copies of the Fourth Amendment don’t stop a battering ram — law enforcement officers’ adhering to the constitutional limits of their authority does. —Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026

Florida’s agricultural industry is taking stock after Sunday’s extreme weather, with farmers facing millions of dollars in losses after a battering from an extremely dry fall compounded by the weekend’s arctic plunge. —Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026

Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars. —Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026

Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars. —Steve Karnowski, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing battering

• battering ram
• take a battering

Rhymes for battering

• chattering
• clattering
• flattering
• pattering
• scattering
• shattering
• smattering
• spattering
• backscattering
• unflattering