beat
beat [beat beats beating beaten] verb, noun, adjective BrE [biːt] NAmE [biːt]
verb (beat, beatenBrE [ˈbiːtn] ; NAmE [ˈbiːtn] )
IN GAME
1. transitive ~ sb (at sth) to defeat sb in a game or competition
• He beat me at chess.
• Their recent wins have proved they're still the ones to beat (= the most difficult team to beat).
CONTROL
2. transitive ~ sth (informal)to get control of sth
Syn: ↑defeat
• The government's main aim is to beat inflation.
BE TOO DIFFICULT
3. transitive (informal)to be too difficult for sb
Syn: ↑defeat
•~ sb a problem that beats even the experts
•~ sb why, how, etc… It beats me (= I don't know) why he did it.
•What beats me is how it was done so quickly (= I don't understand how).
BE BETTER
4. transitive ~ sth (rather informal)to do or be better than sth
•Nothing beats home cooking.
•You can't beat Italian shoes.
•They want to beat the speed record (= go faster than anyone before).
AVOID
5. transitive ~ sth (informal)to avoid sth
•If we go early we should beat the traffic.
•We were up and off early to beat the heat.
HIT
6. intransitive, transitive to hit sb/sth many times, usually very hard
•+ adv./prep. Somebody was beating at the door.
• Hailstones beat against the window.
•~ sth Someone was beating a drum.
•~ sth + adv./prep. She was beating dust out of the carpet (= removing dust from the carpet by beating it).
•~ sb At that time children were regularly beaten for quite minor offences (= a punishment).
•~ sb + adv./prep. An elderly man was found beaten to death.
•The prisoners were beaten into submission (= they were beaten until they did what was wanted).
•~ sb + adj. They beat him unconscious (= hit him until he became unconscious).
OF HEART/DRUMS/WINGS
7. intransitive, transitive to make, or cause sth to make, a regular sound or movement
• She's alive— her heart is still beating.
• We heard the drums beating.
•The bird was beating its wings (= moving them up and down) frantically.
MIX
8. transitive to mix sth with short quick movements with a fork, etc
•~ sth (up) Beat the eggs up to a frothy consistency.
•~ A and B together Beat the flour and milk together.
SHAPE METAL
9. transitive to change the shape of sth, especially metal, by hitting it with a hammer, etc
•~ sth (out) (into sth) beaten silver
•The gold is beaten out into thin strips.
•~ sth + adj. The metal had been beaten flat.
MAKE PATH
10. transitive ~ sth (through, across, along, etc. sth) to make a path, etc. by walking somewhere or by pressing branches down and walking over them
•a well-beaten track (= one that has been worn hard by much use)
•The hunters beat a path through the undergrowth.
more at (beat sb) black and blue at ↑black adj., beat/knock the (living) daylights out of sb at ↑daylights, beat/bang the drum (for sb/sth) at ↑drum n., beat/kick (the) hell out of sb at ↑hell
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Old English bēatan, of Germanic origin.
Thesaurus:
beat verb
1. T
•He beat me at chess.
defeat • • get the better of sb • |especially BrE, informal thrash • |AmE, informal whip • |written overcome • • rout • • trounce • |formal best • • prevail • |literary vanquish •
beat/defeat/thrash/rout/trounce sb by 10 points/4 goals, etc.
beat/defeat/get the better of/thrash/whip/overcome/rout/trounce/vanquish an opponent
beat/defeat/overcome/rout/vanquish an enemy
Beat or defeat? You can use beat to talk about winning against one or several opponents in a competition or race; use defeat to talk about one opponent in a battle or contest
•She won the 100 metres, beating a number of top Europeans.
• He defeated the incumbent president.
Beat is more common in spoken and defeat in written English.
2. I, T
•beating a drum
batter • • pound • • hammer • • pummel • • hit • • thump • • lash • • dash •
beat/batter/pound/hammer/pummel/hit/lash sb/sth with sth
beat/batter/pound/hammer/lash/dash sb/sth against sth
beat/batter/pound/hammer/lash/dash sb to death
the rain/wind/sea beats/batters/pounds/lashes/dashes (at) sth
3. I
•Her heart began to beat faster.
pulse • • throb • • pound • |written flutter •
sb's heart beats/pulses/throbs/pounds/flutters
sb's blood beats/pulses/throbs/pounds
sb's pulse beats/throbs/pounds/flutters
Beat, pulse or throb? Pulse and throb are stronger than beat but are not used to talk about drums. Music and pain can pulse or throb. Machines throb but don't pulse.
4. T
•Beat the eggs until they are frothy.
whisk • • whip • • stir • • mix • • blend •
beat/whisk/stir/mix/blend sth into sth
beat/whisk/stir A and B together
beat/whisk/whip cream/eggs/egg whites
Synonyms:
beat
batter • pound • lash • hammer
These words all mean to hit sb/sth many times, especially hard.
beat • to hit sb/sth a lot of times, especially very hard: ▪ Someone was beating at the door. ◇ ▪ A young man was found beaten to death last night. ◇ ▪ At that time, children were often beaten for quite minor offences ▪ (= as a punishment) ▪.
batter • to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, especially in way that causes serious damage: ▪ He had been badly battered around the head and face. ◇ ▪ Severe winds have been battering the coast.
pound • to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, especially in a way that makes a lot of noise: ▪ Heavy rain pounded on the roof.
lash • to hit sb/sth with a lot of force: ▪ The rain lashed at the window.
The subject of lash is often rain, wind, hail, sea or waves.
hammer • to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, in a way that is noisy or violent: ▪ He hammered the door with his fists.
pound or hammer?
There is not much difference in meaning between these two, but to pound is sometimes a steadier action. To hammer can be more violent and it is often used figuratively.
to beat/batter/pound/lash/hammer sb/sth with sth
to beat/batter/pound/lash/hammer against sth
to beat/batter/pound/hammer on sth
to beat/batter/hammer sth down
the rain/wind/sea beats/batters/pounds/lashes (at) sth
Example Bank:
•Add three eggs, lightly beaten.
•Beat the mixture well, until it is light and creamy.
•He beat her hands down.
•He had been beaten about the head with a rock.
•He was beaten into second place by the American.
•He was narrowly beaten by his opponent.
•His stepfather repeatedly beat his mother.
•I beat her by just three points.
•I could feel my heart beating wildly.
•She beat him at chess.
•She was beaten with a metal bar.
•She was beating the carpet with a large brush.
•The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head.
•a higher-rated player who consistently beat her
•rain beating against the window panes
•rain beating on the roof
•someone beating at the door
•‘Where's she gone?’ ‘Beats me.’
•A young man was found beaten to death at his home last night.
•At that time, children were often beaten for quite minor offences.
•Beat the eggs to a frothy consistency.
•Book a break in the sun to try to beat those winter blues.
•For a break in the sun, Thailand is hard to beat.
•He is struggling to beat his heroin addiction.
•Her entry really did beat the others hands down.
•Her heart began to beat a little faster.
•I could detect a pulse beating very faintly.
•It beats me why he did it.
•Its wings beat feebly against the window.
•Nothing beats home cooking.
•She beat him hands down.
•She was beating dust out of the carpet.
•She won the 100 metres, beating a number of top Europeans.
•Sprinkle in the sugar and beat the mixture until it is white and stiff.
•The bird was frantically beating its wings.
•The new law is a way of trying to beat terrorism.
•The prisoners were beaten into submission.
•Their recent wins have proved that they're still the ones to beat.
•They beat him unconscious.
•They used to get beaten with a wooden spoon.
•They were soundly beaten in the finals by a much stronger Dutch side.
•This is his latest attempt to beat the world record.
•We could hear the drums beating in the distance.
•What beats me is how it was done so quickly.
•When it comes to quality, you can't beat Italian shoes.
Idioms: ↑beat a path to somebody's door ▪ ↑beat a retreat ▪ ↑beat about the bush ▪ ↑beat it ▪ ↑beat somebody at their own game ▪ ↑beat somebody to the punch ▪ ↑beat the clock ▪ ↑beat the rap ▪ ↑beat time ▪ ↑beat your brains out ▪ ↑beat your breast ▪ ↑can you beat it! ▪ ↑if you can't beat them, join them ▪ ↑off the beaten track ▪ ↑rod to beat somebody with ▪ ↑take some beating
Derived: ↑beat down ▪ ↑beat off ▪ ↑beat on somebody ▪ ↑beat somebody down ▪ ↑beat somebody off ▪ ↑beat somebody out of something ▪ ↑beat somebody to it ▪ beat somebody to something ▪ ↑beat somebody up ▪ ↑beat something down ▪ ↑beat something out ▪ ↑beat something out of somebody ▪ ↑beat up on somebody ▪ ↑beat yourself up
noun
OF DRUMS/HEART/WINGS
1. countable a single blow to sth, such as a drum, or a movement of sth, such as your heart; the sound that this makes
•several loud beats on the drum
• (figurative) His heart missed a beat when he saw her.
2. singular a series of regular blows to sth, such as a drum; the sound that this makes
•the steady beat of the drums
see also ↑heartbeat
RHYTHM
3. countable the main rhythm, or a unit of rhythm, in a piece of music, a poem, etc
• This type of music has a strong beat to it.
• The piece has four beats to the bar.
•Pause for two beats and then repeat the chorus.
OF POLICE OFFICER
4. countable, usually singular the area that a police officer walks around regularly and which he or she is responsible for
•More police officers out on the beat may help to cut crime.
see your heart misses a beat at ↑heart, march to (the beat of) a different drummer/drum at ↑march, walk the beat at ↑walk v.
Word Origin:
Old English bēatan, of Germanic origin.
Thesaurus:
beat noun C
•I like dancing to music with a strong beat.
rhythm • |music tempo •
a regular/strong/throbbing beat/rhythm
have/lack a beat/rhythm/tempo
clap/dance/sway to the beat/rhythm
Example Bank:
•Count four beats and then start singing.
•He chants his lyrics over an infectious disco beat.
•She felt the beat of his heart.
•They danced to the rhythmic beat of the music.
•We have two officers walking the beat after midnight.
•We heard the beat of distant drums.
•officers on the beat
adjective not before noun (informal) = ↑dead beat
Word Origin:
Old English bēatan, of Germanic origin.
See also: ↑beat around the bush ▪ ↑beat on somebody ▪ ↑beat up on yourself
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