beat

beatverb

To beat is to hit something repeatedly, to do better than someone in a competition, to mix something quickly, or to make a regular repeated movement or sound.

1. hit repeatedlyhit someone or something many times, usually hard

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]

   • He beat the dust out of the rug. V + obj
   • Rain beat against the windows all night. V + prep + obj
   • The waves beat against the rocks. V + prep + obj
   • Someone was beating on the door. V + prep + obj

   Synonyms break

   Compare hit

2. defeatdo better than someone or something, such as in a competition or a previous best result

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Our team beat theirs by two goals. V + obj
   • She beat her own best time. V + obj
   • He always beats me at chess. V + obj
   • Nobody could beat the champion that year. V + obj

   Synonyms defeat; destroy

3. mix quicklymix something quickly and well, using a fork or a similar tool

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] cooking

   • Beat the eggs and sugar together. V + obj
   • Beat the cream until it thickens. V + obj
   • She beat the batter for two minutes. V + obj
   • Beat the mixture until smooth. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun beat eggs, beat cream

4. regular movementmake a regular repeated movement or sound

   intransitive [I]

   • Her heart was beating fast.
   • The drum beat steadily through the night.
   • Wings beat softly overhead.
   • His pulse beat quickly after the run.

   Collocations

   noun + verb heart beats, drum beats, wings beat