battering

noun bat·ter·ing \ ˈba-tə-riŋ \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of battering

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

See battering defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of battering from the Web

My 5-year-old daughter loved the tea cups and the battering ram that just made my stomach flip.

— laura johnston, cleveland.com, "Busch Gardens Williamsburg is inefficient family fun," 18 Apr. 2018
Dozens of beloved pairs of shoes that had sprung a leak or were injured in some other way by the batterings of time found refuge in his strong hands.

— jane ford-stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "He was a white knight who rescued many things beloved by West Allis families," 17 Apr. 2018
Next is BoomBadda, a hyper French bulldog built like a tiny battering ram.

— chris martins, Billboard, "One Crazy Night With Rae Sremmurd, the Superstar Duo About to Test Their Solo Talents," 12 Apr. 2018
Running backs can no longer duck their heads and use the helmet as a battering ram.

— peter king, SI.com, "Brandin Cooks Trade: The Domino Effect on the Rams, Patriots, Giants, 2018 Draft," 4 Apr. 2018
After a battering from a month of coastal storms, storm surges will continue eroding coastlines.

— judson jones, CNN, "Nor'easter will likely bring most significant spring snow in years," 20 Mar. 2018
Anadolu Agency says police detained the suspects Wednesday in simultaneous dawn raids at homes, using battering rams to break down doors at some locations.

— Washington Post, "Turkey detains 13 IS militants suspected of plotting attack," 7 Mar. 2018
Unlike the Gulf's hulking offshore rigs, built to endure hurricanes and a constant battering from waves, the wells in marshes are diminutive and low to the water.

— jennifer larino, NOLA.com, "Army Corps starting levee patrols as Mississippi River rises," 26 Feb. 2018
The group had a collective laugh at one teenager, who mistook a battering ram for a bazooka.

— evan bush, The Seattle Times, "‘Nothing makes sense’: Gunfire reports at Highline College unfounded, but fear was real," 18 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'battering.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.