beating

noun

beat·​ing ˈbē-tiŋ 

1

: an act of striking with repeated blows so as to injure or damage

also : the injury or damage thus inflicted

2

: pulsation

3

: defeat, setback

Synonyms of beating

• pulse
• throb
• beat

Examples of beating in a Sentence

he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart

took a beating and ended up in second place

Recent Examples on the Web

Some 10 other War Dog members allegedly joined in the beating. —Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

Later that month, another jury said Rafael Andres should be sent back to Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker cord in 2005. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026

Chen oversaw 10 of these compounds, authorizing beatings and violence to keep the workers in line, the feds allege. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026

Among other things, the indictment accuses Maduro and his wife of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their drug trafficking operation. —Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English betynge, from gerund of beten "to beat entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing beating

• beating reed
• breast-beating
• take a beating
• take some beating
• world-beating

Rhymes for beating

• bleating
• cheating
• eating
• fleeting
• greeting
• heating
• meeting
• seating
• sheeting
• sweeting
• treating
• accreting