beat
1. a regular route for a sentry or policeman (Freq. 1)
- in the old days a policeman walked a beat and knew all his people by name
• Syn:
round
• Hypernyms:
path, route, itinerary
2. the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart (Freq. 1)
- he could feel the beat of her heart
• Syn:
pulse, pulsation, heartbeat
• Derivationally related forms:
pulsate (for: pulsation), pulse (for: pulse), pulsate (for: pulse)
• Hypernyms:
periodic event, recurrent event
• Hyponyms:
diastole, systole, throb, throbbing, pounding
3. the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music (Freq. 1)
- the piece has a fast rhythm
- the conductor set the beat
• Syn:
rhythm, musical rhythm
• Hypernyms:
musical time
• Hyponyms:
backbeat, downbeat, upbeat, offbeat, syncopation
4. a single pulsation of an oscillation produced by adding two waves of different frequencies;
has a frequency equal to the difference between the two oscillations
• Hypernyms:
oscillation, vibration
5. a member of the beat generation;
a nonconformist in dress and behavior
• Syn:
beatnik
• Hypernyms:
nonconformist, recusant
• Member Holonyms:
beat generation, beats, beatniks
6. the sound of stroke or blow
- he heard the beat of a drum
• Hypernyms:
sound
7. (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
• Syn:
meter, metre, measure, cadence
• Derivationally related forms:
metrical (for: metre), metrical (for: meter)
• Topics:
prosody, metrics
• Hypernyms:
poetic rhythm, rhythmic pattern, prosody
• Hyponyms:
catalexis, scansion, common measure, common meter, metrical foot,
foot, metrical unit
8. a regular rate of repetition
- the cox raised the beat
• Hypernyms:
pace, rate
9. a stroke or blow
- the signal was two beats on the steam pipe
• Hypernyms:
stroke
10. the act of beating to windward;
sailing as close as possible to the direction from which the wind is blowing
• Hypernyms:
sailing
1. come out better in a competition, race, or conflict (Freq. 18)
- Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship
- We beat the competition
- Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game
• Syn:
beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish
• Derivationally related forms:
vanquishable (for: vanquish), vanquisher (for: vanquish), trouncing (for: trounce), beatable, beating
• Hypernyms:
get the better of, overcome, defeat
• Hyponyms:
outpoint, outscore, walk over, eliminate, worst,
pip, mop up, whip, rack up, whomp, get the best,
have the best, overcome, spread-eagle, spreadeagle, rout, get the jump,
cheat, chouse, shaft, screw, chicane, jockey,
surpass, outstrip, outmatch, outgo, exceed, outdo,
surmount, outperform, get over, subdue, master, outflank,
trump, best, scoop, outfight, overpower, overmaster,
overwhelm, checkmate, mate, immobilize, immobilise, outplay,
cream, bat, clobber, drub, thrash, lick
• Verb Group:
outwit, overreach, outsmart, outfox, circumvent
• Entailment:
win
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Somebody ----s somebody
- Something ----s somebody
- The fighter managed to beat his opponent
2. give a beating to;
subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression (Freq. 9)
- Thugs beat him up when he walked down the street late at night
- The teacher used to beat the students
• Syn:
beat up, work over
• Derivationally related forms:
beating
• Hyponyms:
strong-arm, soak, pistol-whip, belabour, belabor,
rough up, flog, welt, whip, lather, lash,
slash, strap, trounce, cane, lambaste, lambast,
knock cold, knock out, kayo, thrash, thresh, lam,
lam, clobber, baste, batter, spank,
paddle, larrup
• Entailment:
hit
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s somebody
- They want to beat the prisoners
3. hit repeatedly (Freq. 8)
- beat on the door
- beat the table with his shoe
• Derivationally related forms:
beater
• Hypernyms:
strike
• Hyponyms:
full, beetle, bastinado, deck, coldcock,
dump, knock down, floor, whang, paste, thrash,
thresh, hammer
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Somebody ----s somebody
- Something ----s somebody
- Something ----s something
4. move rhythmically (Freq. 4)
- Her heart was beating fast
• Syn:
pound, thump
• Derivationally related forms:
pounding (for: pound)
• Hypernyms:
move
• Hyponyms:
pulsate, throb, pulse, palpitate, flutter,
thrash, flap
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
- Something is ----ing PP
5. shape by beating (Freq. 3)
- beat swords into ploughshares
• Hypernyms:
shape, form, work, mold, mould, forge
• Hyponyms:
forge, hammer
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- The chef wants to beat the eggs
6. make a rhythmic sound (Freq. 2)
- Rain drummed against the windshield
- The drums beat all night
• Syn:
drum, thrum
• Derivationally related forms:
drummer (for: drum)
• Hypernyms:
sound, go
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
- Something is ----ing PP
7. glare or strike with great intensity (Freq. 1)
- The sun was beating down on us
• Hypernyms:
glare
• Verb Frames:
- Something is ----ing PP
8. move with a thrashing motion (Freq. 1)
- The bird flapped its wings
- The eagle beat its wings and soared high into the sky
• Syn:
flap
• Derivationally related forms:
flap (for: flap), flapping (for: flap)
• Hypernyms:
move, displace
• Hyponyms:
flutter, bate, clap
• Verb Group:
flap
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s something
9. sail with much tacking or with difficulty (Freq. 1)
- The boat beat in the strong wind
• Topics:
navigation, pilotage, piloting
• Hypernyms:
sail
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
- Somebody ----s
- Something is ----ing PP
- Somebody ----s PP
10. stir vigorously (Freq. 1)
- beat the egg whites
- beat the cream
• Syn:
scramble
• Derivationally related forms:
beater
• Topics:
cooking, cookery, preparation
• Hypernyms:
agitate, vex, disturb, commove, shake up,
stir up, raise up
• Hyponyms:
whisk, whip, cream
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
11. strike (a part of one's own body) repeatedly, as in great emotion or in accompaniment to music (Freq. 1)
- beat one's breast
- beat one's foot rhythmically
• Hypernyms:
strike
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
12. be superior
- Reading beats watching television
- This sure beats work!
• Hypernyms:
be
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s something
13. avoid paying
- beat the subway fare
• Syn:
bunk
• Hypernyms:
cheat, rip off, chisel
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
14. make a sound like a clock or a timer
- the clocks were ticking
- the grandfather clock beat midnight
• Syn:
tick, ticktock, ticktack
• Derivationally related forms:
ticktock (for: ticktock), tick (for: tick), ticker (for: tick), ticking (for: tick)
• Hypernyms:
sound, go
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
15. move with a flapping motion
- The bird's wings were flapping
• Syn:
flap
• Derivationally related forms:
flap (for: flap), flapping (for: flap)
• Hypernyms:
move
• Hyponyms:
flail, thresh, clap
• Verb Group:
flap
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
16. indicate by beating, as with the fingers or drumsticks
- Beat the rhythm
• Hyponyms:
beat out, tap out, thump out
• Verb Group:
drum, thrum, pound, thump
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Somebody ----s something PP
17. move with or as if with a regular alternating motion
- the city pulsated with music and excitement
• Syn:
pulsate, quiver
• Hypernyms:
move
• Verb Group:
pulsate, throb, pulse
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
18. make by pounding or trampling
- beat a path through the forest
• Hypernyms:
make, create
• Entailment:
tread, trample
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
19. produce a rhythm by striking repeatedly
- beat the drum
• Topics:
music
• Hypernyms:
play
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
20. strike (water or bushes) repeatedly to rouse animals for hunting
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
21. beat through cleverness and wit
- I beat the traffic
- She outfoxed her competitors
• Syn:
outwit, overreach, outsmart, outfox, circumvent
• Derivationally related forms:
beatable
• Hypernyms:
surpass, outstrip, outmatch, outgo, exceed,
outdo, surmount, outperform
• Verb Group:
beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Somebody ----s somebody
22. be a mystery or bewildering to
- This beats me!
- Got me--I don't know the answer!
- a vexing problem
- This question really stuck me
• Syn:
perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle,
mystify, baffle, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy,
nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfound
• See Also:
puzzle over (for: puzzle), puzzle out (for: puzzle)
• Derivationally related forms:
stupefaction (for: stupefy), bewilderment (for: bewilder), poser (for: pose), bafflement (for: baffle), mystification (for: mystify), mystifier (for: mystify), mystery (for: mystify), puzzle (for: puzzle), puzzlement (for: puzzle), puzzler (for: puzzle)
• Hypernyms:
confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle,
bedevil, confound, discombobulate
• Hyponyms:
stump, mix up, riddle, elude, escape
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s somebody
23. wear out completely
- This kind of work exhausts me
- I'm beat
- He was all washed up after the exam
• Syn:
exhaust, wash up, tucker, tucker out
• Derivationally related forms:
exhaustion (for: exhaust)
• Hypernyms:
tire, wear upon, tire out, wear, weary,
weary, wear out, outwear, wear down, fag out,
fag, fatigue
• Hyponyms:
frazzle, play, kill
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s somebody
- Something ----s somebody
very tired
- was all in at the end of the day
- so beat I could flop down and go to sleep anywhere
- bushed after all that exercise
- I'm dead after that long trip
• Syn:
all in, bushed, dead
• Similar to:
tired
• Usage Domain:
colloquialism
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