beatbeat1 /bit/ ●●● verb (past tense beat, past participle beaten /ˈbit˺n/ ) 
1
DEFEAT [transitive] to get more points, votes, etc. than other people in a game or competition: 
New York beat Boston 4–1. Stuart usually beats me at chess. Has anyone ever beaten the record for home runs set by Babe Ruth?THESAURUSdefeat – to win a victory over someone: I don’t think anybody will be able to defeat Kennedy in a Senate election.trounce – to defeat someone completely: The Bears trounced Nebraska 44–10.clobber/cream informal – to defeat someone easily: We got creamed in the finals.vanquish formal – to defeat someone or something completely: The allies vanquished the enemy.overcome – to fight and win against someone or something: Union troops finally overcame rebel forces in the south.conquer – to defeat someone, especially a country, and get control of land and people: The Greeks conquered the Trojans.2HIT somebody [transitive] to hit someone many times with your hand, a stick, etc.: He used to come home and beat us. The woman had been beaten to death.THESAURUShit, punch, slap, smack, whack, strike, knock, bang, tap, pound, rap, hammer► see thesaurus at hit1 (1)3HIT something [intransitive, transitive] to hit against the surface of something continuously, or to make something do this: waves beating on/against the shore4FOOD [intransitive, transitive] to mix foods together quickly using a fork or a kitchen tool: Beat the eggs and add them to the sugar mixture.THESAURUSmix, combine, stir, blend► see thesaurus at mix15SOUND [intransitive, transitive] to make a regular sound or movement, or to make something do this: She could feel her heart beating. I could hear drums beating.6beat around the bush to avoid talking about something embarrassing or upsetting: Stop beating around the bush, and say it!7AVOID [transitive] to do something early in order to avoid problems, because later everyone will be doing it: We left at 5 a.m. to beat the traffic. Shop early and beat the Christmas rush!SPOKEN PHRASES8[transitive] to be better or more enjoyable than something else: It’s not the greatest job, but it beats waitressing. You can’t beat (=nothing is better than) San Diego for good weather.9(it) beats me used in order to say that you do not understand or know something: “Where’s Myrna?” “Beats me.”10beat it! an impolite way to tell someone to leave at once[Origin: Old English beatan] → off the beaten track/path at beatenbeat down phrasal verb1if the sun beats down, it shines brightly and is hot2if the rain beats down, it rains very hardbeat off phrasal verb to hit someone who is attacking you until s/he goes awaybeat out phrasal verb informal to defeat someone in a competition: Lange beat out Foster for the award.beat to phrasal verb to get or do something before someone else: I wanted the car, but someone beat me to it.beat up phrasal verb1to hit someone until s/he is badly hurt: My boyfriend went crazy and beat me up.2beat yourself up informal to blame yourself too much for something: Don’t beat yourself up over this!
1DEFEAT [transitive] to get more points, votes, etc. than other people in a game or competition: New York beat Boston 4–1. Stuart usually beats me at chess. Has anyone ever beaten the record for home runs set by Babe Ruth?THESAURUSdefeat – to win a victory over someone: I don’t think anybody will be able to defeat Kennedy in a Senate election.trounce – to defeat someone completely: The Bears trounced Nebraska 44–10.clobber/cream informal – to defeat someone easily: We got creamed in the finals.vanquish formal – to defeat someone or something completely: The allies vanquished the enemy.overcome – to fight and win against someone or something: Union troops finally overcame rebel forces in the south.conquer – to defeat someone, especially a country, and get control of land and people: The Greeks conquered the Trojans.2HIT somebody [transitive] to hit someone many times with your hand, a stick, etc.: He used to come home and beat us. The woman had been beaten to death.THESAURUShit, punch, slap, smack, whack, strike, knock, bang, tap, pound, rap, hammer► see thesaurus at hit1 (1)3HIT something [intransitive, transitive] to hit against the surface of something continuously, or to make something do this: waves beating on/against the shore4FOOD [intransitive, transitive] to mix foods together quickly using a fork or a kitchen tool: Beat the eggs and add them to the sugar mixture.THESAURUSmix, combine, stir, blend► see thesaurus at mix15SOUND [intransitive, transitive] to make a regular sound or movement, or to make something do this: She could feel her heart beating. I could hear drums beating.6beat around the bush to avoid talking about something embarrassing or upsetting: Stop beating around the bush, and say it!7AVOID [transitive] to do something early in order to avoid problems, because later everyone will be doing it: We left at 5 a.m. to beat the traffic. Shop early and beat the Christmas rush!SPOKEN PHRASES8[transitive] to be better or more enjoyable than something else: It’s not the greatest job, but it beats waitressing. You can’t beat (=nothing is better than) San Diego for good weather.9(it) beats me used in order to say that you do not understand or know something: “Where’s Myrna?” “Beats me.”10beat it! an impolite way to tell someone to leave at once[Origin: Old English beatan] → off the beaten track/path at beatenbeat down phrasal verb1if the sun beats down, it shines brightly and is hot2if the rain beats down, it rains very hardbeat off phrasal verb to hit someone who is attacking you until s/he goes awaybeat out phrasal verb informal to defeat someone in a competition: Lange beat out Foster for the award.beat to phrasal verb to get or do something before someone else: I wanted the car, but someone beat me to it.beat up phrasal verb1to hit someone until s/he is badly hurt: My boyfriend went crazy and beat me up.2beat yourself up informal to blame yourself too much for something: Don’t beat yourself up over this!
