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⇱ BEAT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Definition
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beat; beaten ˈbΔ“-tᡊn πŸ‘ How to pronounce beat (audio)
 or beat; beating; beats

transitive verb

1
: to strike repeatedly:
a
: to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain
Inmates were put in solitary for beating other inmates.
β€”often used with up
… brutes who beat up their victims without compunction β€¦β€”πŸ‘ Image
J. H. Plumb
b
: to walk on : tread
beat the pavement looking for work
c
: to strike directly against forcefully and repeatedly : dash against
waves beating the shore
beat the door with her fists
d
: to flap or thrash at vigorously
a trapped bird beating the air
e
hunting : to strike at in order to rouse game
beating a hedgerow
also : to range over in or as if in quest of game
… beat the woods and rouse the bounding prey … β€”πŸ‘ Image
Matthew Prior
f
: to mix by stirring : whip
beat the eggs
β€”often used with up
g
: to strike repeatedly in order to produce music or a signal
beat a drum
2
a
: to drive or force by blows
beat back his attackers
b
: to pound into a powder, paste, or pulp
c
: to make by repeated treading or driving over
beat a path through the woods
d(1)
: to dislodge by repeated hitting
beat dust from the carpet
(2)
: to lodge securely by repeated striking
beat a stake into the ground
e
: to shape by beating
beat swords into plowshares
especially : to flatten thin by blows
f
: to sound or express especially by drumbeat
beating out a rhythm on the conga
3
: to cause to strike or flap repeatedly
a bird beating its wings
4
a
: overcome, defeat
beat the insurgents in a bloody battle
beating your opponent in chess
They beat us 14 to 3.
also : surpass
She beat the old record by three seconds.
β€”often used with out
Someone else beat her out for the job.
b
: to prevail despite
beat the odds
c
: bewilder, baffle
it beats me how she does it
d(1)
(2)
: to leave dispirited, irresolute, or hopeless
Years of failure had beaten him down.
e
: cheat, swindle
beat him out of his inheritance
5
a(1)
: to act ahead of usually so as to forestall
I was going to make the suggestion, but she beat me to it.
(2)
journalism : to report a news item in advance of
beat the other networks
b
: to come or arrive before
I beat him to the finish line.
c
: circumvent
beat the system
d
sports : to outmaneuver (a defender) and get free
The player attempts to beat the defender and score.
e
sports : to score against (a goalkeeper)
6
: to produce (music or a signal) by striking something repeatedly : to indicate by beating
beat the tempo

intransitive verb

1
a
: to become forcefully propelled forward : dash
waves beating against the shore
b
: to glare or strike with oppressive intensity
The sun beat down on us.
c
: to sustain distracting activity
… the turbulence of the Renaissance … beating about his head β€¦β€”πŸ‘ Image
Douglas Stewart
d
: to strike a drum repeatedly : to beat a drum
The drummers kept beating.
2
a(1)
: pulsate, throb
Her heart beat wildly.
(2)
: tick
the beating of a clock
b
: to sound upon being struck
the sound of a beating drum
3
a
: to strike repeated blows
beating on the door
… their air attack still beating upon us β€¦β€”πŸ‘ Image
Sir Winston Churchill
b
: to strike the air : flap
The bird's wings beat frantically.
c
hunting : to strike bushes or other cover in order to rouse game
also : to range or scour for or as if for game
4
: to progress with much difficulty
5
nautical : to sail to windward by a series of zigzag movements
beating along the coast

beat

2 of 4

noun (1)

plural beats
1
a
: a single stroke or blow especially in a series
a single beat on a drum
also : pulsation, tick
b
: a sound produced by or as if by beating (see beat entry 1)
dance to the beat of the drums
listening to the beat of his heart
c
: a driving impact or force
… the full force of the surf beat β€¦β€”πŸ‘ Image
Joyce Allan
… the fierce beat of the eastern sun.β€”πŸ‘ Image
T. B. Costain
2
: one swing of the pendulum or balance (see balance entry 1 sense 8) of a timepiece
3
a
: a regularly traversed round (see round entry 3 sense 6a)
a cop patrolling her beat
b
journalism : a group of news sources that a reporter covers regularly
a reporter on the beat
4
a
: a metrical or rhythmic stress in poetry or music or the rhythmic effect of these stresses
four beats per bar
keeping a steady beat
b
music : the tempo indicated (as by a conductor) to a musical performer
c
music : the pronounced rhythm (see rhythm sense 2b) that is the characteristic driving force in some types of music (such as jazz or rock)
music with a Latin beat
d
music : the part of a rap song that is the base over which rap lyrics are added and that is usually composed using special software
The beat and lyrics were beautifully combined and his [Drake's] voice took it over the top.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Jaime Jimenez
The art of the sample is intertwined with the history of hip-hop, beginning in the 1970s, when DJs would cut bits and pieces of disco and soul tracks together while MCs rhymed over the beat.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Meg Trogolo
[Leeroy] Green, who writes beats and music in collaboration with other artists, said he's currently wrapping up a single with rapper Zen Dash.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Jim Testa
5
a
: one that excels
I've never seen the beat of it.
b
journalism : the reporting of a news story ahead of competitors
6
7
nautical
a
: an act of sailing toward the side or direction from which the wind is blowing by a series of zigzag movements : an act of beating (see beat entry 1 sense intransitive 5) to windward
b
: one of the reaches (see reach entry 2 sense 1) in the zigzag course so traversed : tack
8
physics : each of the pulsations of amplitude (see amplitude sense 1a) produced by the union of sound or radio waves or electric currents having different frequencies
9
dance : an accented stroke (as of one leg or foot against the other)
10
: moment
waited a beat before responding
see also:

beat

3 of 4

adjective

1
a
: being in a state of exhaustion : exhausted
Sometimes I'd be so beat that I'd flop down and go to sleep fully dressed.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Polly Adler
b
: sapped of resolution or morale
2
often Beat [earliest in beat generation; perhaps in part by association with beat entry 2 in sense "pronounced rhythm" or -beat in deadbeat entry 1] : of, relating to, or being beatniks
beat poets

beat

4 of 4

noun (2)

variants often Beat

Synonyms of beat

Examples of beat in a Sentence

Verb He beat the dust out of the rug with a stick. She used a hammer to beat the metal into shape. She used a hammer to beat the nail into the wall. The dented metal was beaten flat. The waves were beating the shore. He beat at the door with his fists. The waves were beating on the shore. The rain beat on the roof. They beat him with clubs. a man accused of beating his wife Noun (1) delivered one hard beat on the drums a single beat of the heart is said to be all that separates the vice president from the presidency moved to the beat of the music within a beat he was on the phone complaining about an error in his bill Adjective Let me sit down. I'm absolutely beat! can we pick this up tomorrow, because I'm beat?
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.
Verb
Glass burst through the neutral zone and beat Fowler late in the second. β€”πŸ‘ Image
CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026 That beat Blackwood on the top right shelf. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
There's an edge to her that's instantly captivating, and the sincere doubts that Adlon's voice work delivers sell plot beats that could be eyebrow-raising with a lesser performance. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026 In my seven years on the USC beat with The Times β€” plus four years on the UCLA beat a while back β€” the baseball rivalry with the Bruins hadn’t carried all that much significance. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
He has twice been named one of the top 10 beat writers in the country by the AP Sports Editors. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026 This recipe brings together meat and vegetables in a can't-be-beat cold-weather go-to. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beat

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English beten, from Old English bΔ“atan; akin to Old High German bōzan to beat

Noun (1)

noun derivative of beat entry 1

Adjective

from past participle of beat entry 1

Noun (2)

from beat entry 3 in beat generation, or by shortening of beatnik

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of beat was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing beat

Rhymes for beat

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

β€œBeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beat. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
a
: to hit again and again
beat a drum
rain beating on the roof
β€”often used with up
two bullies beat him up
b
: to flap against
wings beating the air
c
: to mix by stirring : whip
beat two eggs
2
a
: to drive or force by blows
beat off the intruder
b
: to make by walking or riding over
beat a path
c
: to shape by blows
beat gold into thin strips
3
: to cause to strike or flap repeatedly
birds beating their wings
4
a
: to win against : defeat
b
: baffle entry 1 sense 1
it beats me where they are
c
: surpass sense 1
can you beat that?
5
a
: to act ahead of
beat me to the punch
b
: to arrive before
beat us home
6
: to measure or mark off by strokes
beat time to the music
7
: to glare or strike harshly
the sun beats down
8
: pulsate, throb
the heart beating
beater noun

beat

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a stroke or blow especially in a series
b
c
: a sound produced by or as if by beating
the beat of waves against the rock
2
a
: a rhythmic stress in poetry or music
b
: the tempo given to a musical performer
c
: rhythm sense 2
likes music with a Latin beat
3
: a place or area regularly visited in the course of work or duty
a police officer's beat
a reporter's beat

beat

3 of 3 adjective
1
: being tired out
2
: having lost one's morale

Medical Definition

beat

2 of 2 noun
: a single stroke or pulsation (as of the heart)
ectopic beats
see extrasystole

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