beat

(noun, adjective, verb)

adjective

1. very tired

- so beat I could flop down and go to sleep anywhere

Similar word(s): tired, bushed, dead

Sentences with beat as an adjective:

- After the long day, she was feeling completely beat.

- Dude, you drive a beat car like that and you ain’t gonna get no honeys.

noun

1. a regular route for a sentry or policeman

- in the old days a policeman walked a beat and knew all his people by name

Similar word(s): round

Definition categories: location, itinerary, path, route

2. the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart

- he could feel the beat of her heart

Similar word(s): heartbeat, pulsation, pulse

Definition categories: event

3. the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music

- the conductor set the beat

Similar word(s): rhythm

Definition categories: communication

4. a single pulsation of an oscillation produced by adding two waves of different frequencies; has a frequency equal to the difference between the two oscillations

Definition categories: phenomenon, oscillation, vibration

5. a member of the beat generation; a nonconformist in dress and behavior

Similar word(s): beatnik

Definition categories: person, nonconformist, recusant

6. the sound of stroke or blow

- he heard the beat of a drum

Definition categories: event, sound

7. (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse

Similar word(s): cadence, measure, meter, metre

Definition categories: communication, prosody

8. a regular rate of repetition

- the cox raised the beat

Definition categories: attribute, pace, rate

9. a stroke or blow

- the signal was two beats on the steam pipe

Definition categories: act, stroke

10. the act of beating to windward; sailing as close as possible to the direction from which the wind is blowing

Definition categories: act, sailing

Sentences with beat as a noun:

- a beat of the heart; the beat of the pulse

- to walk the beat

- the beat of him

- a dead beat

verb

1. come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

- Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship

- We beat the competition

Similar word(s): crush, shell, trounce, vanquish

Definition categories: competition, defeat, overcome

2. give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression

- Thugs beat him up when he walked down the street late at night

- The teacher used to beat the students

Definition categories: contact

3. hit repeatedly

- beat on the door

- beat the table with his shoe

Definition categories: contact, strike

4. move rhythmically

- Her heart was beating fast

Similar word(s): pound, thump

Definition categories: motion, move

5. shape by beating

- beat swords into ploughshares

Definition categories: creation, forge, form, mold, mould, shape, work

6. make a rhythmic sound

- The drums beat all night

Similar word(s): drum, thrum

Definition categories: perception, go, sound

7. glare or strike with great intensity

- The sun was beating down on us

Definition categories: perception, glare

8. move with a thrashing motion

- The eagle beat its wings and soared high into the sky

Similar word(s): flap

Definition categories: motion, displace, move

9. sail with much tacking or with difficulty

- The boat beat in the strong wind

Definition categories: motion, sail

10. stir vigorously

- beat the egg whites

- beat the cream

Similar word(s): scramble

Definition categories: contact, agitate, commove, disturb, vex

11. strike (a part of one's own body) repeatedly, as in great emotion or in accompaniment to music

- beat one's breast

- beat one's foot rhythmically

Definition categories: contact, strike

12. be superior

- Reading beats watching television

- This sure beats work!

Definition categories: stative, be

13. avoid paying

- beat the subway fare

Similar word(s): bunk

Definition categories: social, cheat, chisel

14. make a sound like a clock or a timer

- the grandfather clock beat midnight

Similar word(s): tick, ticktack, ticktock

Definition categories: perception, go, sound

15. move with a flapping motion

Similar word(s): flap

Definition categories: motion, move

16. indicate by beating, as with the fingers or drumsticks

- Beat the rhythm

Definition categories: motion

17. move with or as if with a regular alternating motion

Similar word(s): pulsate, quiver

Definition categories: motion, move

18. make by pounding or trampling

- beat a path through the forest

Definition categories: creation, create, make

19. produce a rhythm by striking repeatedly

- beat the drum

Definition categories: creation, play

20. strike (water or bushes) repeatedly to rouse animals for hunting

Definition categories: contact, beat

21. beat through cleverness and wit

- I beat the traffic

Similar word(s): circumvent, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach

Definition categories: competition, exceed, outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surmount, surpass

22. be a mystery or bewildering to

- This beats me!

Similar word(s): amaze, baffle, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex

Definition categories: cognition, bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw

23. wear out completely

- I'm beat

Similar word(s): exhaust, tucker

Definition categories: body, fatigue, jade, outwear, tire, wear, weary

Sentences with beat as a verb:

- As soon as she heard that Wiktionary was shutting down, she went into a rage and beat the wall with her fists until her knuckles bled.

- He danced hypnotically while she beat the atabaque.

- Jan had little trouble beating John in tennis. He lost five games in a row.

- No matter how quickly Joe finished his test, Roger always beat him.

- I just can't seem to beat the last level of this video game.

- Beat the eggs and whip the cream.

- He wanted $50 for it, but I managed to beat him down to $35.

- to beat a retreat; to beat to quarters

- The drums beat.

- The drummers beat to call soldiers to their quarters.