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

For days, Williams had maintained hope that Maliek would survive the brutal beating in a Queens shelter that left him with a blown right pupil, fractured pelvis, lacerations to his liver and brain damage. —Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026

And yet Luka Doncic still had a chance to turn a second-half collapse into a buzzer-beating victory on Monday night. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026

Less than a year ago, a settler attack on the village sent a director of the film to the hospital with injuries from a beating. —Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026

There’s also niacinamide to strengthen your skin barrier, which tends to take a major beating in the winter. —Sarah Felbin, Allure, 25 Feb. 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