beating

1 of 2

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

beating

2 of 2

present participle of beat entry 1

Synonyms of beating

Noun

• pulse
• throb
• beat

Examples of beating in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

Ning Xu of Tsinghua University in Beijing beat out 346 other video entries from 40 different countries with his super-resolution video (above) of the abnormal beating of cilia in the airways of a child with a rare genetic respiratory disorder. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

At the two-week trial, three victims recounted beatings while suspended from pipes on the ceiling and the use of a device that folded their bodies in half at the waist. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Immigrants held there and their families have long described the facility as a detention center where complaints were met with beatings, meager meals and inhuman treatment. — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

Some of the sellers took a real beating on the way out, because the negative articles were so persuasive and the owners so scared. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

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