beatingbeat‧ing /ˈbiːtɪŋ/ noun 
a brutal beating2take a beating to lose very badly in a game or competition: The Dodgers took a real beating on Saturday. → take some beating at beat1(11)
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The patient died of head injuries inflicted during the beating.
- But she realized that further beatings could result in medical bills.
- His later published account describes bad food, hard work over a fourteen-hour day, beatings and injury from unguarded machinery.
- If he didn't want a beating, or worse, he'd have to pander to these monsters.
- Southern police responded to sit-ins and civil rights marches with fire hoses, tear gas, beatings, and arrests.
- The beating McGee took was violent and quick.
- This was the kind of outfit that would invite a hundred beatings in the Handle.
- Tom said that Brian's beating was the end as far as he was concerned.
Longman Language Activatorto hit someone as a punishment
to repeatedly hit someone with your hand, with a stick etc as a punishment: · The guards used to regularly beat the prisoners.· Teachers are no longer allowed to beat students who misbehave.beat with: · Slaves were sometimes beaten with sticks or even whipped.
to hit someone repeatedly, especially a child who has behaved badly, with your open hand, on their bottom: · The two boys were spanked and sent to bed without their supper.· Many parents no longer spank their kids as a form of discipline.
also swat American to hit someone, especially a child who has behaved badly, with your open hand on their hand, the backs of their legs, their face etc: · If you don't stop that, I'll smack you!· Slap her hand lightly when she touches something she shouldn't.· He grinned and I wanted to swat him, but he wasn't my son so I didn't.
to hit someone violently and repeatedly with something such as a stick, in order to punish them: · The guards gave the prisoner a beating.give somebody a good/sound beating: · His father took him into the barn and gave him a good beating.
to hit someone very hard with a rope, whip etc especially on their back in order to punish them: · The hostage had terrible scars on his back where he had been whipped.· What kind of a society flogs women simply for saying what they think?
the practice of punishing people, especially children at school, by hitting them with something such as a stick: · In my first year at Hendon School, I had my first taste of corporal punishment.· Corporal punishment is, thankfully, no longer used.
to lose a game, argument, election, war etc to lose a game, competition, fight, or war: · I always lose when I play tennis with my sister.lose a game/fight/election etc: · Everyone expected the Democrats to lose the election.· The Chicago Bears lost their eighth game in a row (=they lost eight games, one after the other).lose to: · England lost to Brazil in the final.· He lost his title unexpectedly to a man who is virtually unknown outside boxing circles.lose 3-2/by 1 goal/by 10 votes/by 20 points etc: · The Springboks lost by only three points to the All Blacks.· The match was lost 3 to 1.lose somebody the game/competition/election etc (=be the reason that someone lost): · Many people think that the Democrats' tax policies lost them the election.
to lose a game, competition, or race, often by a large amount or when you were expecting to win: · In 37 fights, Lewis has only been beaten once.· Jake sure doesn't like being beaten.be beaten by: · The Barbarians were beaten in the quarter-finals by the Korean side.get beaten: · We always seems to get beaten when we play in Europe.
to lose an important or difficult battle, election, or game: · Government forces took control of the town after the rebel forces were defeated.be defeated by: · Last night, the Raiders were defeated by a superior team.be badly/heavily/decisively defeated (=be very badly defeated): · He ran for Congress last year, but was decisively defeated.be narrowly defeated (=to lose but be very close to winning): · The Democratic Party was narrowly defeated in the general election, and will form a coalition with the Congress party.
when a person, team, or army is defeated in a game, competition, election, battle etc: · It was the Christian Democratic Party's fourth successive electoral defeat.defeat of: · the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloosomebody's defeat of somebody (=the fact that one person or team defeats another): · Scotland's defeat of Spainsomebody's defeat by somebody (=the fact that one person or team is defeated by another): · Mr Taylor blamed bad publicity for his defeat by Mr Jones.a crushing/humiliating/resounding defeat: · The captain offered no excuses for his team's humiliating defeat.· The New York Times described the withdrawal of troops as a resounding defeat for the government.suffer a defeat: · She retired from the sport after suffering a series of humiliating defeats.
if a very good player, team etc meets their match , they are beaten by an even better player, team etc, especially after a long period during which they were never beaten: · She's a good player but she'll meet her match when she plays Sara.meet your match in: · I slowly started to realize I had met my match in Nigel.
to lose very badly in a game of football, tennis etc: · `I hear you took a bit of a beating last night.' 'Yeah, we lost 12 -2.'
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES 1,000 people marched, beating drums and carrying flags.
1,000 people marched, beating drums and carrying flags. (=be forced to accept defeat or a bad situation) Small businesses took a hammering in the last recession.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN Small businesses took a hammering in the last recession.· Still she said nothing, but she could feel her heart beating faster.· Otherwise it is an ordinary day, the curtains billowing, house empty, heart beating. 3.· Paige could feel her heart beating like a trapped bird in her chest and her senses reeled.· Her heart beating erratically, she obeyed, clasping her hands together to prevent her fingers from straying into his black hair.· Only a machine keeps the heart beating. 5.· She felt her body, the sweat that held them together, Nathan's heart beating frantically against her chest.· I listened to my heart beating.· She went with him, her heart beating heavily.
VERB· Still she said nothing, but she could feel her heart beating faster.· Paige could feel her heart beating like a trapped bird in her chest and her senses reeled.· He had felt like beating her up, so it seemed a mild enough rebuke for the trouble she'd caused him.· Phoebe could feel her own heard beating.· I felt elated at beating Dennis, he was rated a medal hope.· Tony could feel his heart beating - faster than he could ever remember.· She felt his heart beating strong and fast against hers.· Dexter felt his heart beating a little faster as he began to climb the stairs.
· Now pour in the cream and stir well. Give one last beating for good measure.
· Far enough for the noise of the city to be a distant hum, near enough to hear its pulse beating.· All he could hear was his heart beating.· The Captain could almost hear his heart beating, not to mention the Mate's teeth chattering.· She hears a beating of wings and sees the approach of the swan.· The brothers could almost hear her heart beating.· She could hear her own heart beating ....
· When she saw Andrew it seemed to her as if her heart had stopped beating.· My heart seemed to stop beating, then kick reluctantly into life again, like those temperamental old generators of colonial Danu.
· For sheer enjoyment of climbing at this standard the routes on the Clapis sector the Dentelles de Montmirail take some beating.· It was the cavalry and the knightly host which had taken the beating.· As far as awful games go this one takes some beating.· Looks like egg-laying has taken a beating.· Liverpool was taking a beating, and rumours were free for the asking on every street corner and in every food queue.· Fortunately he is now fully recovered and will take all the beating as he is better than form figures indicate.· Both had taken quite a beating by the time the first grey flickers of dawn filtered in.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
- `I hear you took a bit of a beating last night.' 'Yeah, we lost 12 -2.'
- The Mets took a real beating last Saturday.
- A principle as old as ancient tribes and almost as remotely understood, diplomatic immunity is taking a beating this week.
- But since then, software stocks have taken a beating.
- He took a beating today but he played his butt off.
- History is taking a beating and sacrosanct tour records are being kept in pencil.
- Liverpool was taking a beating, and rumours were free for the asking on every street corner and in every food queue.
- Looks like egg-laying has taken a beating.
- Technology stocks of all sizes continued to take a beating.
- They took a beating on the Mudchute.
WORD FAMILYnounbeatbeatingadjectivebeatable ≠ unbeatablebeaten ≠ unbeatenverbbeat
1[countable] an act of hitting someone many times as a punishment or in a fight: a brutal beating2take a beating to lose very badly in a game or competition: The Dodgers took a real beating on Saturday. → take some beating at beat1(11)