beating

1 of 2

noun

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

beating

2 of 2

present participle of beat entry 1

Synonyms of beating

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Noun

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Examples of beating in a Sentence

Noun he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart took a beating and ended up in second place
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Noun
The violent beating of his heart reverberated in his head— seemed to shake his brain to pieces. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 Police arrested a 16-year-old boy from the Israeli settlement of Avigayil in the beating of a 61-year-old Palestinian man. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 Chicago’s Indian Independence Day celebrations kicked off with the revving of motorcycles and the beating of drums, as a few dozen marchers decked out in orange, white and green headed down Devon Avenue in West Ridge. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 Israeli teen settler arrested in beating of amputee Elsewhere in the Middle East, police arrested a 16-year-old boy from the Israeli settlement of Avigayil in the beating of a 61-year-old Palestinian man. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beating

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English betynge, from gerund of beten "to beat entry 1"

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing beating

Rhymes for beating

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Browse Nearby Words

beatin'est
beating
beating engine
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Cite this Entry

“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beating. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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