beating

noun

beat·​ing ˈbē-tiŋ How to pronounce beating (audio)
1
: an act of striking with repeated blows so as to injure or damage
also : the injury or damage thus inflicted
2
3

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Others include the cardiac signals that control the beating of your heart, along with other signals that tell your muscles to contract. Steve Granick, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025 Buy So, even with a 53-11 record and Oklahoma City applying regular-season beatings to the rest of the NBA every night, there is still an air of mystery around the Thunder’s championship-level viability. Tony Jones, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025 During the beating, which lasted about 20 minutes, Thompson is seen kicking McClendon out of his chair and slamming a trash can into his head, police say, then pouring a bottle of Gatorade onto him before throwing the bottle, the station reported. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025 More than three decades after the Rodney King beating, cameras remain the best tool for accountability, as filmmakers like Morrison demonstrate how cinema can make the case for justice. Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beating

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of beating was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beating. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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