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

In 2010, Shinar and a small cadre of physicians nationwide began using ECMO for cardiac arrest in the theory that handing off circulation to a machine temporarily can give the heart muscle time to recover and regain a normal beating rhythm. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025

Two teens were charged in connection with the beating of a 62-year-old man on a CTA bus on the West Side last week. —Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

After beating the Utah Mammoth to start the five-game residency, the B’s lost to the Edmonton Oilers, squandered a winnable game in a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks and, on Sunday night, took a thorough beating at the hands of the Ottawa Senators, 6-2, at the Garden. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025

But the Xbox Series hardware took the biggest beating, with a dramatic 70% drop in sales. —Jaures Yip, CNBC, 21 Dec. 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