verb | noun | adjective
beatbeat1 /bit/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense beat, past participle beaten /ˈbit˺n/) 1
WIN [transitive] to get more points, votes, etc. in a game, race, or competition than the person, team etc.: The Pacers were beaten 71–68 by the Bulls.beat somebody at something He beat me at tennis.THESAURUSdefeat – to win a victory over someone in a game, competition, battle, or war: I don’t think anybody will be able to defeat her in a Senate election.outdo – to do better than someone in a competition, sport, or argument: You have to admit that your opponent outdid you in the debate.trounce – to defeat someone easily in a sport or competition: The Bears trounced Nebraska 44–10.cream/thrash/clobber informal – to defeat someone easily in a sport or competition: We got creamed in the finals. They clobbered us 68–32.2HIT [transitive] to deliberately hit a person or animal many times and hurt him or her: He used to come home drunk and beat my mother. The victim was found beaten to death in the street. He was beaten black and blue by the crowd (=beaten until marks were made on his body). Their father used to beat the living daylights out of them for the smallest things (=beat them badly).► see thesaurus at hit13HIT AGAINST [intransitive always + adv./prep., transitive] to hit someone or something many times, especially in order to make a noise: A man was beating a drum.beat on/against/at etc. They were beating on the door. Rain was beating on the windows.4FOOD [intransitive, transitive] to mix food together quickly with a fork or special kitchen tool: Beat the eggs and pour in the milk.beat something in/beat in something Gradually beat in the sugar.beat something together Beat together the brown sugar and shortening.► see thesaurus at mix15DO BETTER [transitive] to do something better, faster, etc. than what was best before or than what was expected: Hank Aaron beat the record for home runs set by Babe Ruth. The company’s profits this year beat expectations.6HEART [intransitive] science, biology when your heart beats, it moves in a regular rhythm as it pumps your blood: Her heart was beating fast. Doctors rushed to try and save him after his heart stopped beating.7CONTROL/DEAL WITH [transitive] to successfully deal with a problem you have been struggling with SYN conquer: She beat breast cancer when she was in her thirties. How can schools beat the problem of illegal drugs?SPOKEN PHRASES8BE BETTER [transitive not in progressive] to be much better and more enjoyable than something else: it beats doing something We got takeout – it beats cooking on a Friday night. Nothing beats homemade cookies (=nothing is better than homemade cookies). You can’t beat the weather here (=the weather is very good). It’s only ten bucks; you can’t beat that.9beats me used to say that you do not know something or cannot understand or explain something: “Who do you think is gonna win?” “Beats me.” Beats me why he’d want to cut his hair off.10beat it! used to tell someone to leave at once because he or she is annoying you or should not be there: Go on, you kids! Beat it! Now!11beat your brains out to think about something very hard and for a long time12beat the pants off (of) somebody to defeat an opponent easily and completely in a competition: I ran as fast as I could and beat the pants off the other guy.13if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em used when you decide to take part in something although you disapprove of it, because everyone else is doing it and you cannot stop them14to beat the band in large amounts or with great force: It’s raining to beat the band.15can you beat that/it? used to show that you are surprised or annoyed by something: She made her bed without being asked. Can you beat that?16DO BEFORE somebody ELSE [transitive] informal to get or do something before someone else, especially if you are both trying to do it first: Kerry beat me to a seat. I was going to have that last piece of pie but somebody beat me to it. Both companies spotted the opening in the market, but AT&T beat them to the punch (=were successful first).17AVOID [transitive] informal to avoid situations in which a lot of people are trying to do something, usually by doing something early: Shop now and beat the Christmas rush! We left early to beat the traffic.18WINGS [intransitive, transitive] if a bird beats its wings or its wings beat, they move up and down quickly and regularly19beat around the bush informal to avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing or upsetting: You’d better tell him how you feel and don’t beat around the bush.20beat a (hasty) retreat to leave somewhere or stop doing something very quickly, in order to avoid a bad situation21beat the clock to finish something very quickly, especially before a particular time: Employees are working furiously to beat the clock.22beat the system to find ways of avoiding or breaking the rules of an organization, system, etc., in order to achieve what you want: Accountants know a few ways to beat the system.23beat the drum for somebody/something to speak eagerly in support of someone or something: Goodman rushed back to L.A. to beat the drum for his new movie.24beat somebody like a drum to defeat an opponent by a lot of points in a game or sport: Seles beat her like a drum.25beat the rap informal to avoid being punished for something you have done: He’s been arrested three times and has beaten the rap every time.26beat a path (to somebody’s door) (also beat down somebody’s door) if people beat a path to your door, they are interested in something you are selling, a service you are providing, etc.: People are going to beat a path from all over to play these golf courses.27beat time to make regular movements or sounds to show the speed at which music should be played: The conductor beat time with his baton.28beat the heat informal to make yourself cooler: Strawberries in wine is a festive way to beat the heat.29take some beating a)if an achievement or score will take some beating, it will be difficult for anyone to do better: Schumacher has a twelve-second lead, which will take some beating. b)to be better, more enjoyable, etc. than almost anything else of the same type: As a great place for a vacation, Florida takes some beating.30beat your breast literary to show clearly that you are very upset or sorry about something31METAL [transitive] to hit metal with a hammer in order to shape it or make it thinner32HUNTING [intransitive, transitive] to force wild birds and animals out of bushes, long grass, etc. so that they can be shot for sport[Origin: Old English beatan] → see also beaten, beating, beat/flog a dead horse at dead1 (17), beat somebody at their own game at game1 (13)beat down phrasal verb1 if the sun beats down, it shines very brightly and the weather is hot2 if the rain beats down, it is raining very hard3beat somebody ↔ down informal to make someone feel defeated: A lot of people feel beaten down by the system.4beat something ↔ down to hit something such as a door until it falls downbeat off phrasal verb beat somebody/something ↔ off to succeed in defeating someone who is attacking or opposing you or competing against you: McConnell beat off a challenge for his Senate seat.beat out phrasal verb1beat somebody ↔ out to defeat someone in a competition: Lockheed beat out a rival company to win the contract.beat somebody out for something Michigan managed to beat out Penn State for the number one position in the country.2beat something out if drums beat out a rhythm, or you beat out a rhythm on the drums, they make a continuous regular sound3beat something out of somebody to force someone to tell you something by beating him or her: I had the truth beaten out of me by my father.4beat something ↔ out to put out a fire by hitting it with something such as a wet clothbeat up phrasal verb1beat somebody ↔ up to hurt someone badly by hitting him or her: Her boyfriend got drunk and beat her up.2beat up on somebody to hit someone and hurt him or her, especially someone younger or weaker than yourself: I used to beat up on my brothers when we were kids.3beat up on yourself (also beat yourself up) informal to blame yourself too much for something: Stop beating yourself up – you couldn’t have prevented it.► see thesaurus at hit1 verb | noun | adjective
beatbeat2 ●●○ noun 1[countable] one of a series of regular movements or hitting actions: a heart rate of 80 beats per minute2[countable usually singular] a regular repeated noise SYN rhythm: beat of the slow beat of the drum3[singular] eng. lang. arts the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has: a song with a beat you can dance to4[singular] a subject or an area of a city that someone is responsible for as part of his or her job: journalists covering the political beat police officers on the beat (=working in their area)5[countable] eng. lang. arts one of the notes in a piece of music that sounds stronger than the other notes verb | noun | adjective
beatbeat3 adjective [not before noun] informal very tired SYN exhausted: I’m beat.