beating

noun

beat·​ing ˈbē-tiŋ How to pronounce beating (audio)
1
: an act of striking with repeated blows so as to injure or damage
also : the injury or damage thus inflicted
2
3

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 Yep, the strike saved the Rangers from further beatings. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 5 Sep. 2023 The 74-point beating was just so much unavoidable collateral damage. Ken Goe For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023 The government presented evidence at trial that after the beating, Williams and Managan, who previously pleaded guilty to obstruction, attempted to cover up the beating. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 17 Aug. 2023 Five Memphis police officers have already been charged in state court with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal beating. Rick Rojas, New York Times, 27 July 2023 The scandal also toppled the county's longtime district attorney and the county's top corruption prosecutor, who were convicted of helping Burke cover up the beating. CBS News, 23 Aug. 2023 Chatting with Muscle and Health, Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, opened up about the literal beatings he's taken throughout his decades-long wrestling career and the surgeries he's had to endure as a result. Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2023 Williams continued the beating by hitting D.H. multiple times with a collapsible baton. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 17 Aug. 2023 But the early episodes (there are seven in all) give us a front row seat to the damage being done, capturing the anguish and fear as acutely as the beatings themselves. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of beating was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near beating

Cite this Entry

“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beating. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

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