beat
♦♦♦ beat /b'iːt/ (beats beating beaten)
The form beat is used in the present tense and is the past tense.
1 [VERB] V n, V n to n
If you beat someone or something, you hit them very hard.
My wife tried to stop them and they beat her...
They were beaten to death with baseball bats.
2 [VERB] V against n, V at n, V on n, also V n
To beat on, at, or against something means to hit it hard, usually several times or continuously for a period of time.
There was dead silence but for a fly beating against the glass...
Nina managed to free herself and began beating at the flames with a pillow...
The rain was beating on the windowpanes.
= pound
[N-SING] usu the N of n
Beat is also a noun.
...the rhythmic beat of the surf.
● beating [N-SING] usu the N of n
...the silence broken only by the beating of the rain.
3 [VERB] V
When your heart or pulse beats, it continually makes regular rhythmic movements.
I felt my heart beating faster.
[N-COUNT] usu with supp
Beat is also a noun.
He could hear the beat of his heart...
Most people's pulse rate is more than 70 beats per minute.
● beating [N-SING] usu the N of n
I could hear the beating of my heart.
4 [VERB] V n, V
If you beat a drum or similar instrument, you hit it in order to make a sound. You can also say that a drum beats.
When you beat the drum, you feel good.
...drums beating and pipes playing.
[N-SING] usu the N of n
Beat is also a noun.
...the rhythmical beat of the drum.
5 [N-COUNT] usu sing, the N
The beat of a piece of music is the main rhythm that it has.
...the thumping beat of rock music.
6 [N-COUNT] usu pl
In music, a beat is a unit of measurement. The number of beats in a bar of a piece of music is indicated by two numbers at the beginning of the piece.
It's got four beats to a bar.
see also upbeat, downbeat
7 [VERB] V n
If you beat eggs, cream, or butter, you mix them thoroughly using a fork or beater.
Beat the eggs and sugar until they start to thicken.
8 [VERB] V n, V
When a bird or insect beats its wings or when its wings beat, its wings move up and down.
Beating their wings they flew off...
Its wings beat slowly.
9 [VERB] V n, V n into n
If you beat someone in a competition or election, you defeat them.
In yesterday's games, Switzerland beat the United States two-one...
She was easily beaten into third place.
10 [VERB] V n
If someone beats a record or achievement, they do better than it.
He was as eager as his Captain to beat the record.
11 [VERB] V n
If you beat something that you are fighting against, for example an organization, a problem, or a disease, you defeat it.
It became clear that the Union was not going to beat the government...
= conquer
12 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed adv, V adv n
If an attack or an attempt is beaten off or is beaten back, it is stopped, often temporarily.
The rescuers were beaten back by strong winds and currents...
South Africa's ruling National Party has beaten off a right-wing challenge.
13 [VERB] no cont, V n
If you say that one thing beats another, you mean that it is better than it. (INFORMAL)
Being boss of a software firm beats selling insurance...
14 [VERB] no cont, V n
If you say you can't beat a particular thing you mean that it is the best thing of its kind.
You can't beat soap and water for cleansing.
15 [VERB] V n
To beat a time limit or an event means to achieve something before that time or event.
They were trying to beat the midnight deadline...
16 [N-COUNT]
A police officer's or journalist's beat is the area for which he or she is responsible.
17 [VERB] V n
You use beat in expressions such as `It beats me' or `What beats me is' to indicate that you cannot understand or explain something. (INFORMAL, SPOKEN)
`What am I doing wrong, anyway?'--`Beats me, Lewis.'...
18
see also beaten, beaten-up, beat-up, beat-up
19 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you intend to do something but someone beats you to it, they do it before you do.
Don't be too long about it or you'll find someone has beaten you to it.
20 [PHRASE] usu n PHR, v-link PHR
A police officer on the beat is on duty, walking around the area for which he or she is responsible.
The officer on the beat picks up information; hears cries for help; makes people feel safe.
21 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you beat time to a piece of music, you move your hand or foot up and down in time with the music. A conductor beats time to show the choir or orchestra how fast they should sing or play the music.
He beats time with hands and feet.
= keep time
22
to beat someone black and blue: see black
to beat about the bush: see bush
to beat or knock the living daylights out of someone: see daylights
to beat the drum for someone or something: see drum
to beat someone at their own game: see game
to beat a retreat: see retreat
to beat, kick or knock the shit out of someone: see shitbeat down
1 [PHRASAL VERB]
When the sun beats down, it is very hot and bright.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
When the rain beats down, it rains very hard.
Even in the winter with the rain beating down, it's nice and cosy in there.
= pour down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you beat down a person who is selling you something, you force them to accept a lower price for it than they wanted to get.
A fair employer, when arranging for the pay of a carpenter, does not try to beat him down...
Beat down the seller to the price that suits you.
= knock downbeat out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you beat out sounds on a drum or similar instrument, you make the sounds by hitting the instrument.
Drums and cymbals beat out a solemn rhythm.
= tap out
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you beat out a fire, you cause it to go out by hitting it, usually with an object such as a blanket.
His brother beat out the flames with a blanket...
She managed to beat the fire out.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you beat out someone in a competition, you defeat them. (mainly AM)
Indianapolis beat out nearly 100 other cities as the site for a huge United Airlines maintenance center...
If we are certain a rival will beat us out, we are wide open to jealousy.beat up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If someone beats a person up, they hit or kick the person many times.
Then they actually beat her up as well...
The government supporters are beating up anyone they suspect of favouring the demonstrators.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V pron-refl P prep, V pron-refl P
If you beat yourself up about something, you worry about it a lot or blame yourself for it. (INFORMAL)
Tell them you don't want to do it any more. Don't beat yourself up about it...
I don't beat myself up. I don't deal with things I can't handle.
● beating-up [N-COUNT]
There had been no violence, no beatings-up until then.beat up on
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P P n, also V P n
If someone beats up on a person or beats on them, they hit or kick the person many times. (AM)
He beat up on my brother's kid one time.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P P n
If someone beats up on another person, they threaten them or treat them unkindly. (AM INFORMAL)
She had to beat up on every customer just to get the bills paid.
The form beat is used in the present tense and is the past tense.
1 [VERB] V n, V n to n
If you beat someone or something, you hit them very hard.
My wife tried to stop them and they beat her...
They were beaten to death with baseball bats.
2 [VERB] V against n, V at n, V on n, also V n
To beat on, at, or against something means to hit it hard, usually several times or continuously for a period of time.
There was dead silence but for a fly beating against the glass...
Nina managed to free herself and began beating at the flames with a pillow...
The rain was beating on the windowpanes.
= pound
[N-SING] usu the N of n
Beat is also a noun.
...the rhythmic beat of the surf.
● beating [N-SING] usu the N of n
...the silence broken only by the beating of the rain.
3 [VERB] V
When your heart or pulse beats, it continually makes regular rhythmic movements.
I felt my heart beating faster.
[N-COUNT] usu with supp
Beat is also a noun.
He could hear the beat of his heart...
Most people's pulse rate is more than 70 beats per minute.
● beating [N-SING] usu the N of n
I could hear the beating of my heart.
4 [VERB] V n, V
If you beat a drum or similar instrument, you hit it in order to make a sound. You can also say that a drum beats.
When you beat the drum, you feel good.
...drums beating and pipes playing.
[N-SING] usu the N of n
Beat is also a noun.
...the rhythmical beat of the drum.
5 [N-COUNT] usu sing, the N
The beat of a piece of music is the main rhythm that it has.
...the thumping beat of rock music.
6 [N-COUNT] usu pl
In music, a beat is a unit of measurement. The number of beats in a bar of a piece of music is indicated by two numbers at the beginning of the piece.
It's got four beats to a bar.
see also upbeat, downbeat
7 [VERB] V n
If you beat eggs, cream, or butter, you mix them thoroughly using a fork or beater.
Beat the eggs and sugar until they start to thicken.
8 [VERB] V n, V
When a bird or insect beats its wings or when its wings beat, its wings move up and down.
Beating their wings they flew off...
Its wings beat slowly.
9 [VERB] V n, V n into n
If you beat someone in a competition or election, you defeat them.
In yesterday's games, Switzerland beat the United States two-one...
She was easily beaten into third place.
10 [VERB] V n
If someone beats a record or achievement, they do better than it.
He was as eager as his Captain to beat the record.
11 [VERB] V n
If you beat something that you are fighting against, for example an organization, a problem, or a disease, you defeat it.
It became clear that the Union was not going to beat the government...
= conquer
12 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed adv, V adv n
If an attack or an attempt is beaten off or is beaten back, it is stopped, often temporarily.
The rescuers were beaten back by strong winds and currents...
South Africa's ruling National Party has beaten off a right-wing challenge.
13 [VERB] no cont, V n
If you say that one thing beats another, you mean that it is better than it. (INFORMAL)
Being boss of a software firm beats selling insurance...
14 [VERB] no cont, V n
If you say you can't beat a particular thing you mean that it is the best thing of its kind.
You can't beat soap and water for cleansing.
15 [VERB] V n
To beat a time limit or an event means to achieve something before that time or event.
They were trying to beat the midnight deadline...
16 [N-COUNT]
A police officer's or journalist's beat is the area for which he or she is responsible.
17 [VERB] V n
You use beat in expressions such as `It beats me' or `What beats me is' to indicate that you cannot understand or explain something. (INFORMAL, SPOKEN)
`What am I doing wrong, anyway?'--`Beats me, Lewis.'...
18
see also beaten, beaten-up, beat-up, beat-up
19 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you intend to do something but someone beats you to it, they do it before you do.
Don't be too long about it or you'll find someone has beaten you to it.
20 [PHRASE] usu n PHR, v-link PHR
A police officer on the beat is on duty, walking around the area for which he or she is responsible.
The officer on the beat picks up information; hears cries for help; makes people feel safe.
21 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you beat time to a piece of music, you move your hand or foot up and down in time with the music. A conductor beats time to show the choir or orchestra how fast they should sing or play the music.
He beats time with hands and feet.
= keep time
22
to beat someone black and blue: see black
to beat about the bush: see bush
to beat or knock the living daylights out of someone: see daylights
to beat the drum for someone or something: see drum
to beat someone at their own game: see game
to beat a retreat: see retreat
to beat, kick or knock the shit out of someone: see shitbeat down
1 [PHRASAL VERB]
When the sun beats down, it is very hot and bright.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
When the rain beats down, it rains very hard.
Even in the winter with the rain beating down, it's nice and cosy in there.
= pour down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you beat down a person who is selling you something, you force them to accept a lower price for it than they wanted to get.
A fair employer, when arranging for the pay of a carpenter, does not try to beat him down...
Beat down the seller to the price that suits you.
= knock downbeat out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron)
If you beat out sounds on a drum or similar instrument, you make the sounds by hitting the instrument.
Drums and cymbals beat out a solemn rhythm.
= tap out
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you beat out a fire, you cause it to go out by hitting it, usually with an object such as a blanket.
His brother beat out the flames with a blanket...
She managed to beat the fire out.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you beat out someone in a competition, you defeat them. (mainly AM)
Indianapolis beat out nearly 100 other cities as the site for a huge United Airlines maintenance center...
If we are certain a rival will beat us out, we are wide open to jealousy.beat up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If someone beats a person up, they hit or kick the person many times.
Then they actually beat her up as well...
The government supporters are beating up anyone they suspect of favouring the demonstrators.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V pron-refl P prep, V pron-refl P
If you beat yourself up about something, you worry about it a lot or blame yourself for it. (INFORMAL)
Tell them you don't want to do it any more. Don't beat yourself up about it...
I don't beat myself up. I don't deal with things I can't handle.
● beating-up [N-COUNT]
There had been no violence, no beatings-up until then.beat up on
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P P n, also V P n
If someone beats up on a person or beats on them, they hit or kick the person many times. (AM)
He beat up on my brother's kid one time.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P P n
If someone beats up on another person, they threaten them or treat them unkindly. (AM INFORMAL)
She had to beat up on every customer just to get the bills paid.