beat

Pronunciation

• enPR: bēt
• IPA ^(key): /biːt/
• SAMPA: /bi:t/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Homophones

• beet

Verb

Plain form beat

Third person singular beats

Simple past beat

Past participle beaten

Present participle beating

1. (transitive) If you beat someone or something, you hit it, usually many times.
   • Synonyms: hit, assault and batter

   It made a loud noise when he beat the drum.

   I had to leave and divorce my husband, because he kept beating and choking me.

2. (transitive) If you beat a person or a team, you win and they lose.

   The best team usually beats the worst one.

3. The past tense of beat.

Related words

• beat up

Noun

Singular beat

Plural beats

1. (countable) Beat is the rhythm of music.
   • Synonym: rhythm
2. (countable) A heartbeat.
   • Synonym: pulse