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

• 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

That includes a large beating attack caught on videos that went viral and threw Cincinnati into the national spotlight in late July. —Jennifer Edwards Baker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025

He was convicted of the 1988 rape and fatal beating of his former manager at a Florida convenience store. —Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025

The Sureño gangs requires new members to undergo an initiation — either a 13-second beating, or in some cases, an act of violence against a rival, police said in court records. —Harry Harris, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025

On April 12, 1962, Black men, women, and children packed into Philadelphia’s Times Auditorium and milled about to the low, rhythmic beating of African drums until the lights dimmed and Moore took the stage. —Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025

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