beat
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++beat1 /biːt/ ●●● S2 W2 verb (past tense beat, past participle beaten /ˈbiːtn/) 1 competition/election 比赛/竞选 [transitive]BEAT/DEFEAT to get the most points, votes etc in a game, race, or competition 击败，打败，战胜 SYN defeat Brazil were beaten 2–1. 巴西队以1比2告负。 Labour easily beat the Conservatives in the last election. 工党在上一届选举中轻松击败保守党。beat somebody at/in something I beat him more often at pool than he beats me. 我和他打落袋台球胜多负少。beat somebody hollow British English, beat the pants off somebody American English (=defeat them easily) 把某人打得落花流水2 hit 打 [transitive]HIT to hit someone or something many times with your hand, a stick etc 〔多次〕击打 photographs of rioters beating a policeman 暴徒殴打一名警察的照片 He was questioned and beaten. 他受到了审问和拷打。 The woman had been beaten to death by her husband. 那女子已被丈夫殴打致死。 Two prisoners were beaten unconscious. 两名囚犯被打昏过去。beat somebody black and blue (=hit someone until it makes marks on their body) 把某人打得青一块紫一块beat the living daylights out of somebody (=beat someone very hard) 把某人打得半死► see thesaurus at hit3 hit against 碰撞 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HIT to hit against something many times or continuously 〔多次或连续〕撞击，拍打beat on/against/at etc Waves beat against the cliffs. 海浪拍打着悬崖。 rain beating on the windows 敲打着窗户的雨滴 Sid beat on the door with his hand. 锡德用手打门。4 do better 做得更好BETTER [transitive] to do something better, faster etc than what was best before 打破〔记录〕；突破beat a record/score etc The record set by Kierson in '84 has yet to be beaten. 基尔逊在1984年创下的记录至今无人打破。 The company’s profits are unlikely to beat last year’s £10 million. 公司不太可能突破去年的一千万英镑利润。5 be better 更好 [transitive not in progressive] especially spokenBETTER to be much better and more enjoyable than something else 赛过，胜过 Fresh milk beats powdered milk any time. 新鲜牛奶任何时候都比奶粉好。beat doing something ‘Well, ’ said Culley, ‘it beats going to the office.’ “好吧，”卡利说，“那总比到办公室去好。” You can’t beat swimming as a good all-body exercise. 游泳是再好不过的全身运动。 Nothing beats homemade cake. 什么也比不上家里做的蛋糕。you can’t beat something (for something) For excitement, you just can’t beat college basketball. 要说刺激，没有什么可以跟大学篮球赛比。6 food 食物 [intransitive, transitive]MIX to mix things together quickly with a fork or special kitchen machine 搅拌，搅打 Beat the eggs, then add the milk. 把鸡蛋搅一搅，然后加入牛奶。beat something in Gradually beat in the sugar. 一边打，一边慢慢地加入糖。beat something together Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. 把黄油和糖混在一起搅打到松软为止。► see thesaurus at mix7 control/deal with 控制/应付 [transitive] to successfully deal with a problem that you have been struggling with 克服，战胜〔困难〕 SYN conquer8 heart 心 [intransitive]HBHM when your heart beats, it moves in a regular rhythm as it pumps your blood 〔心脏〕跳（动）9. drums 鼓 [intransitive, transitive]CAPM if you beat drums, or if drums beat, they make a regular continuous sound 击（鼓），打（鼓）；〔鼓〕敲响10. wings 翅膀 [intransitive, transitive]HBB if a bird beats its wings, or if its wings beat, they move up and down quickly and regularly 拍打〔翅膀〕；〔翅膀〕有节奏地拍动 SYN flap11 take some beating BEAT/DEFEATif something or someone will take some beating, it will be difficult for anyone or anything to be or do better 难以超过12 EARLYavoid 避免 [transitive] to avoid situations in which a lot of people are trying to do something, usually by doing something early 避开，避免13 do before SB else 先于别人做某事 [transitive] informalLOSE A GAME, COMPETITION, OR WAR to get or do something before someone else, especially if you are both trying to do it first 抢在…前面14 beat about/around the bush DELAYto avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing or unpleasant 〔说话〕转弯抹角，旁敲侧击15 beat the system DISOBEYto find ways of avoiding or breaking the rules of an organization, system etc, in order to achieve what you want 钻制度的空子16 beat a path to somebody’s door (also beat down somebody’s door)GO if people beat a path to your door, they are interested in something you are selling, a service you are providing etc 踏破某人的门槛〔指对某人出售的东西或提供的服务等感兴趣〕17 beat a (hasty) retreat to leave somewhere or stop doing something very quickly, in order to avoid a bad situation 〔为避免困境〕（赶紧）溜走，（匆忙）撤退18 beat the clock to finish something very quickly, especially before a particular time 提前完成 SPOKEN PHRASES24. beat the rap AVOID American English informal to avoid being punished for something you have done 逃脱惩罚25 beat time APMto make regular movements or sounds to show the speed at which music should be played 打拍子26. beat a path/track to make a path by walking over an area of land 踏出一条小路27 to beat the band LOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT American English informal in large amounts or with great force 大量地；大力地28 beat the heat COLD American English informal to make yourself cooler 去暑，解热29. metal 金属 (also beat out) [transitive]HCMTI to hit metal with a hammer in order to shape it or make it thinner 锤打，〔用锤〕敲打30. hunting 打猎 [intransitive, transitive]DSO to force wild birds and animals out of bushes, long grass etc so that they can be shot for sport 将（猎物）赶出〔树丛、草丛等〕31. beat your breast literaryUPSET to show clearly that you are very upset or sorry about something 捶胸顿足〔表示难过或愧疚〕 → beaten, beatingn COLLOCATIONSadverbseasily beat somebodyJason easily beats me at chess every time we play.narrowly beat somebody (=by only a few points, votes etc)New Zealand narrowly beat the Springboks in South Africa.comfortably beat somebody (=by more than a few points, votes etc)He comfortably beat the second placed candidate.soundly beat somebody (=by a lot of points, votes etc)In each event she soundly beat her opponents.beat somebody hands down (=beat someone very easily)He should be able to beat them all hands down.comprehensively beat somebody (=by a lot of points, votes etc)There’s no point trying to offer excuses as to why we were so comprehensively beaten.convincingly beat somebody (=in a way that clearly shows someone deserves to win)Mexico convincingly beat Brazil 2–0.phrasesbeat somebody into second/third etc placeHe was beaten into second place in the Monaco Grand Prix. THESAURUSbeat to get more points, votes etc than someone. Beat is used especially in spoken English 击败，战胜〔尤用于口语〕We should have beaten them easily. 我们本来应该能够轻松击败他们。I always beat my brother at tennis. 打网球我总是赢我弟弟。defeat to beat someone. Defeat is more formal than beat and is used especially in writing 打败，击败〔defeat比beat正式，尤用于书面语〕England were defeated by 2 goals to 1. 英格兰队以一比二败北。Bush defeated Kerry in the election. 布什在大选中击败了克里。trounce /traʊns/ to defeat someone completely in a game 〔体育比赛中〕彻底打败，击溃They were trounced 20–0 by Kuwait. 他们以0比20惨败给科威特队。thrash British English informal, cream American English informal to beat someone very easily in a game 〔体育比赛中〕轻取，轻松击败Of course, they totally creamed the other team. 当然，他们轻松击败了另一队。nI hope we thrash them!wipe the floor with somebody informal to beat someone completely in a game or argument 〔在体育比赛或争论中〕彻底击败某人；把某人驳得体无完肤She wiped the floor with her opponent in the debate. 她在辩论中把对手驳得体无完肤。nThey won a £1,000 prize after wiping the floor with the opposition in a bowling competition. PHRASAL VERBS→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
beat• Lewis was a tough boxer, and a hard man to beat.• Hey, it beats a bake sale.• Back then, girls were told that they could never beat a boy at tennis.• Jake's home-made burgers beat anything you can get at fast-food restaurants.• Whatever Messrs Mondale, Foot and Kinnock said about raising taxes in the 1980s, they were going to be beaten anyway.• It's not a particularly good job, but it certainly beats being unemployed.• It was clear that she had been badly beaten by her husband.• My Father used to let me beat him at chess.• Following the incident with the boy a Dig Daddy style man had gone to his door and beaten him up.• But UMass still won on the road against a team that should have beaten it.• Brazil beat Italy in the final.• He used to come home drunk and beat my mother.• Children were beating on different kinds of drums.• Convention delegates were beaten, stabbed, and shot promiscuously by the police.• On the ultrasound machine, I could see the baby's heart beating strongly.• Teachers are no longer allowed to beat students who misbehave.• Beat the cream into the fruit puree, pour into bowls, and chill.• Beat the eggs and pour in the milk.• Carry on beating the eggs with a fork until they're light and fluffy.• Do you think the Socialists will beat the Liberals in the election?• Osborne wanted to beat the living daylights out of Flanagan.• Police officers had beaten the man with their batons.• No one has figured out how to beat the problem of rodents eating the crops.• My torso and my wrists felt as though Edna had beaten them with sticks.• In a separate bowl, beat together the oil and flour.• Slaves were sometimes beaten with sticks or even whipped.beaten to death• A Chancellor of the Exchequer who had failed to prevent thieves penetrating his treasury was summarily beaten to death.• And when he himself was nearly beaten to death.• Her body will be covered with bruises, as if she had been beaten to death.• Recalcitrants were chained, starved and beaten to death.• In Westport, a 3-year-old boy was beaten to death after wetting his pants, authorities allege.• Apparently, he was beaten to death and, as a result, swore that he would for ever haunt the local area.• In the minutes that followed, McDuffie was beaten to death by a group of Dade County police officers.• We don't see gays being beaten to death in our country because of their sexuality.beat on/against/at etc• This type of groove should be played very tight, smack on the beat at all times, but with a little bounce.• With an electric mixer, beat at low speed until moistened and then at medium speed for 3 minutes.• Blend at lowest speed 30 seconds and then beat at medium speed 3 minutes.• The rain beat against my face, pasted my hair to my scalp, ran down my neck.• Recovering, Emmie seized the thin old hearthrug and began to beat at the flames.• When the sun is at its highest, it beats on the wall.• A young man was beaten on two occasions but never arrested for anything.you can’t beat something (for something)• For romance, you can't beat the Rainbow Lodge.beat ... to it• Book now before you're beaten to it!• Bridget had only just beaten her to it.• Gloria had beaten me to it.• Martin learnt later that another team had beaten him to it.• The Aldam family from Guildford have beaten them to it.• Gary had beaten them to it, and had demanded contributions for the mission.• He'd beaten Danny Crompton to it that time.beat2 ●●○ S3 noun 1 [countable]HIT one of a series of regular movements or hitting actions 〔连续有节奏的〕跳动，敲击2 [singular]CSOUND a regular repeated noise 有节奏的声音 SYN rhythm3 [countable]APM the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has 〔音乐或诗歌的〕节奏4 [singular]SCP a subject or area of a city that someone is responsible for as their job 〔某人在工作中〕负责的领域，辖区5. [countable]APM one of the notes in a piece of music that sounds stronger than the other notes 节拍，拍子Examples from the Corpus
beat• My heart lurched and seemed to miss a beat, but I went on reading calmly, though the print was blurred.• But beat duty was of course not the only punitive experience for the rank-and-file policeman.• Their new song has a good beat that you can dance to.• Multiply the number of beats by six to get the number of heart beats per minute.• journalists covering the political beat• I could hear the rapid beat of his heart and him breathing all funny.• But for some beat constables, there was another possibility.• The more rum punch, the better the beat!• Police on the beat are feeling increasingly vulnerable.• Jessica moved her hips to the beat of the music.• The beat was the only genuinely musical element in it, of course.beat of• the slow beat of the drumon the beat• He called for more bobbies on the beat, an end to court delays and reform of prisons.• Ian Westwood, head of the federation's Manchester branch, blamed the demise of the traditional bobby on the beat.• Rain could shape every incident on the beat.• Eighty percent of you feel that having more police officers on the beat would certainly alleviate your fears.• police officers on the beat• I would like to see more police on the beat.• This type of groove should be played very tight, smack on the beat at all times, but with a little bounce.• Men were sometimes on the beat twenty-one out of twenty-four hours during the transition between day and night duty.• In his years on the beat, Cowgill earned a reputation for fearlessness.beat3 adjective [not before noun] 1 informalTIRED very tired 累坏的 SYN exhausted I’m beat. 我累坏了。 Come and sit down – you must be dead beat. 过来坐下吧，你肯定累坏了。► see thesaurus at tiredOrigin beat1 Old English beatanbeat1 verb →10-19 →20-26
→n COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1 →SPOKEN PHRASES1 →PHRASAL VERBS1beat2 nounbeat3 adjectiveLDOCE OnlineChinese
→n COLLOCATIONS1 →THESAURUS1 →SPOKEN PHRASES1 →PHRASAL VERBS1beat2 nounbeat3 adjectiveLDOCE OnlineChinese
to points, Corpus get in most etc votes the
beat
beat1 S2 W2 /biːt/ 
verb (past tense beat, past participle beaten /ˈbiːtn/)
SYN defeat:
Brazil were beaten 2–1.
Labour easily beat the Conservatives in the last election.
beat somebody at/in something
I beat him more often at pool than he beats me.
beat somebody hollow British English beat the pants off somebody American English (=defeat them easily)
2. HIT [transitive] to hit someone or something many times with your hand, a stick etc:
photographs of rioters beating a policeman
He was questioned and beaten.
The woman had been beaten to death by her husband.
Two prisoners were beaten unconscious.
beat somebody black and blue (=hit someone until it makes marks on their body)
beat the living daylights out of somebody (=beat someone very hard)
3. HIT AGAINST [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to hit against something many times or continuously
beat on/against/at etc
Waves beat against the cliffs.
rain beating on the windows
Sid beat on the door with his hand.
4. DO BETTER [transitive] to do something better, faster etc than what was best before
beat a record/score etc
The record set by Kierson in '84 has yet to be beaten.
The company’s profits are unlikely to beat last year’s £10 million.
5. BE BETTER [transitive not in progressive] especially spoken to be much better and more enjoyable than something else:
Fresh milk beats powdered milk any time.
beat doing something
‘Well,’ said Culley, ‘it beats going to the office.’
You can’t beat swimming as a good all-body exercise.
Nothing beats homemade cake.
you can’t beat something (for something)
For excitement, you just can’t beat college basketball.
6. FOOD [intransitive and transitive] to mix things together quickly with a fork or special kitchen machine:
Beat the eggs, then add the milk.
beat something in
Gradually beat in the sugar.
beat something together
Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
7. CONTROL/DEAL WITH [transitive] to successfully deal with a problem that you have been struggling with
SYN conquer:
advice on how to beat depression
the government’s long fight to beat inflation
8. HEART [intransitive] when your heart beats, it moves in a regular rhythm as it pumps your blood:
The average person’s heart beats 70 times a minute.
Jennifer’s heart was beating fast.
9. DRUMS [intransitive and transitive] if you beat drums, or if drums beat, they make a regular continuous sound
10. WINGS [intransitive and transitive] if a bird beats its wings, or if its wings beat, they move up and down quickly and regularly
SYN flap
11. take some beating if something or someone will take some beating, it will be difficult for anyone or anything to be or do better:
Raikkonen has 42 points, which will take some beating.
Florida takes some beating as a vacation destination.
12. AVOID [transitive] to avoid situations in which a lot of people are trying to do something, usually by doing something early:
We left at four a.m. to beat the traffic.
Shopping by mail order lets you beat the queues.
Shop now and beat the Christmas rush!
13. DO BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE [transitive] informal to get or do something before someone else, especially if you are both trying to do it first
beat somebody to something
John had beaten me to the breakfast table.
I wanted the last piece of pie, but somebody beat me to it.
They wanted to make it into a film, but another studio beat them to the punch.
14. beat about/around the bush to avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing or unpleasant:
Don’t beat around the bush. Ask for your account to be paid, and paid quickly.
15. beat the system to find ways of avoiding or breaking the rules of an organization, system etc, in order to achieve what you want:
Accountants know a few ways to beat the system.
16. beat a path to sb’s door (also beat down sb’s door) if people beat a path to your door, they are interested in something you are selling, a service you are providing etc:
The new design was supposed to have consumers beating a path to their door.
17. beat a (hasty) retreat to leave somewhere or stop doing something very quickly, in order to avoid a bad situation:
He beat a hasty retreat when he spotted me.
18. beat the clock to finish something very quickly, especially before a particular time:
The company managed to beat the clock on delivering its new system.
SPOKEN PHRASES
19. (it) beats me used to say that you do not know something, or cannot understand or explain it:
Beats me why he wants such a big car.
‘What’s he saying?’ ‘Beats me.’
20. beat it! used to tell someone to leave at once, because they are annoying you or should not be there
21. can you beat that/it? used to show that you are surprised or annoyed by something:
They’ve got eight children! Can you beat that?
22. beat your brains out to think about something very hard and for a long time:
I’ve been beating my brains out all week trying to finish this essay.
23. if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em used when you decide to take part in something even though you disapprove of it, because everyone else is doing it and you cannot stop them
24. beat the rap American English informal to avoid being punished for something you have done
25. beat time to make regular movements or sounds to show the speed at which music should be played:
a conductor beating time with his baton
26. beat a path/track to make a path by walking over an area of land
27. to beat the band American English informal in large amounts or with great force:
It’s raining to beat the band.
28. beat the heat American English informal to make yourself cooler:
Fresh lemonade is a great way to beat the heat.
29. METAL (also beat out) [transitive] to hit metal with a hammer in order to shape it or make it thinner
30. HUNTING [intransitive and transitive] to force wild birds and animals out of bushes, long grass etc so that they can be shot for sport
31. beat your breast literary to show clearly that you are very upset or sorry about something
⇨ beaten, beating
■ adverbs
▪easily beat somebody Jason easily beats me at chess every time we play.
▪narrowly beat somebody (=by only a few points, votes etc) New Zealand narrowly beat the Springboks in South Africa.
▪comfortably beat somebody (=by more than a few points, votes etc) He comfortably beat the second placed candidate.
▪soundly beat somebody (=by a lot of points, votes etc) In each event she soundly beat her opponents.
▪beat somebody hands down (=beat someone very easily) He should be able to beat them all hands down.
▪comprehensively beat somebody (=by a lot of points, votes etc) There’s no point trying to offer excuses as to why we were so comprehensively beaten.
▪convincingly beat somebody (=in a way that clearly shows somebody deserves to win) Mexico convincingly beat Brazil 2–0.
■ phrases
▪beat somebody into second/third etc place He was beaten into second place in the Monaco Grand Prix.
▪ beat to get more points, votes etc than someone. Beat is used especially in spoken English: We should have beaten them easily. | I always beat my brother at tennis.
▪defeat to beat someone. Defeat is more formal than beat and is used especially in writing: England were defeated by 2 goals to 1. | Bush defeated Kerry in the election.
▪trounce /traʊns/ to defeat someone completely in a game: They were trounced 20–0 by Kuwait.
▪thrash British English informal, cream American English informal to beat someone very easily in a game: Of course, they totally creamed the other team. | I hope we thrash them!
▪wipe the floor with somebody informal to beat someone completely in a game or argument: She wiped the floor with her opponent in the debate. | They won a £1,000 prize after wiping the floor with the opposition in a bowling competition.
beat down phrasal verb
1. if the sun beats down, it shines very brightly and the weather is hot
2. if the rain beats down, it is raining very hard
3. beat the door down to hit a door so hard that it falls down
4. beat somebody down British English to persuade someone to reduce a price
beat somebody down to
He wanted £4,500 for the car, but I beat him down to £3,850.
5. beat somebody ↔ down to make someone feel defeated, so they no longer respect themselves:
The women seemed beaten down.
beat off phrasal verb
1. beat somebody/something ↔ off to succeed in defeating someone who is attacking, opposing, or competing with you:
McConnell beat off a challenge for his Senate seat.
2. American English informal not polite if a man beats off, he masturbates
beat somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. if a drum or something else beats out a rhythm, or if you beat out a rhythm on a drum, it makes a continuous regular sound
2. especially American English to defeat someone in a competition:
Lockheed beat out a rival company to win the contract.
beat somebody/something ↔ out for
Roberts beat out Tony Gwynn for the Most Valuable Player Award.
3. to put out a fire by hitting it many times with something such as a cloth
beat up phrasal verb
1. beat somebody ↔ up to hurt someone badly by hitting them:
Her boyfriend got drunk and beat her up.
2. beat up on somebody American English to hit someone and harm them, especially someone younger or weaker than yourself
3. beat yourself up (also beat up on yourself American English) informal to blame yourself too much for something:
If you do your best and you lose, you can’t beat yourself up about it.
beat2 S3 noun1. [countable] one of a series of regular movements or hitting actions:
a heart rate of 80 beats a minute
the steady beat of the drum
2. [singular] a regular repeated noise
SYN rhythm
beat of
the beat of marching feet
3. [countable] the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has:
a song with a beat you can dance to
4. [singular] a subject or area of a city that someone is responsible for as their job:
journalists covering the Washington beat
on the beat
People like to see police officers on the beat.
5. [countable] one of the notes in a piece of music that sounds stronger than the other notes
■ preparing food
▪grate to cut cheese, carrot etc into small pieces by rubbing it against a special tool: Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the pasta.
▪melt to make butter, chocolate etc become liquid: Melt the butter, chocolate, and 1 teaspoon of cream over a low heat.
▪sieve British English, sift American English to put flour or other powders through a sieve (=tool like a net made of wire, which you use for removing larger grains or pieces): Sift the flour and cocoa before adding to the rest of the mixture.
▪chop to cut something into pieces, especially using a big knife: Chop up the vegetables.
▪dice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: Dice the carrots and then fry them in butter.
▪season to add salt, pepper etc to food: Season the meat before grilling.
▪crush to use a lot of force to break something such as seeds into very small pieces or into a powder: Add one clove of crushed garlic.
▪mix to combine different foods together: Mix together all the ingredients in one bowl.
▪beat/whisk to mix food together quickly with a fork or other tool: Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
▪stir to turn food around with a spoon: Stir the sauce gently to prevent burning.
▪fold something in to gently mix another substance into a mixture: Fold in the beaten egg whites.
▪knead to press dough (=a mixture of flour and water) many times with your hands when you are making bread: Knead the dough for ten minutes, until smooth.
▪drizzle to slowly pour a small amount of a liquid onto something: Drizzle with olive oil.
▪let something stand to leave something somewhere, before you do something else with it: Let the mixture stand for a couple of hours so that it cools naturally.
▪serve to put different foods together as part of a meal: Serve with rice and a salad. | Serve the aubergines on a bed of lettuce.
beat3 adjective [not before noun]
informal very tired
SYN exhausted:
I’m beat.
Come and sit down – you must be dead beat.
▪ tired feeling that you want to sleep or rest: I was really tired the next day. | the tired faces of the children
▪exhausted extremely tired: I was exhausted after the long trip home. | He sat down, exhausted. | She immediately fell into an exhausted sleep.
▪worn out [not before noun] very tired because you have been working hard: With three small children to care for, she was always worn out.
▪weary /ˈwɪəri $ ˈwɪr-/ written tired because you have been travelling, worrying, or doing something for a long time: weary travellers | a weary sigh | He looks tired and weary after 20 years in office.
▪fatigued formal very tired: They were too fatigued to continue with the climb. | Because of her illness, she often became fatigued.
▪drained [not before noun] very tired and feeling as if all your energy has gone: Afterwards, he felt drained, both physically and mentally.
▪bushed/beat [not before noun] informal very tired: I’m bushed. I think I’ll go to bed early. | I’m beat. I don’t think I’ll go for a run tonight.
▪knackered British English, pooped American English [not before noun] informal very tired. Knackered is a very informal use - do not use it in polite conversation: By the time I got home I was absolutely knackered.
▪shattered [not before noun] British English informal extremely tired: When I first started teaching, I came home shattered every night.
▪dead spoken extremely tired, so that you cannot do anything but sleep: I was absolutely dead by the time I got home.
| I |
verb (past tense beat, past participle beaten /ˈbiːtn/) Language: Old English
Origin: beatan
1. COMPETITION/ELECTION [transitive] to get the most points, votes etc in a game, race, or competition Origin: beatan
SYN defeat:
beat somebody at/in something
beat somebody hollow British English beat the pants off somebody American English (=defeat them easily)
2. HIT [transitive] to hit someone or something many times with your hand, a stick etc:
beat somebody black and blue (=hit someone until it makes marks on their body)
beat the living daylights out of somebody (=beat someone very hard)
3. HIT AGAINST [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to hit against something many times or continuously
beat on/against/at etc
4. DO BETTER [transitive] to do something better, faster etc than what was best before
beat a record/score etc
5. BE BETTER [transitive not in progressive] especially spoken to be much better and more enjoyable than something else:
beat doing something
you can’t beat something (for something)
6. FOOD [intransitive and transitive] to mix things together quickly with a fork or special kitchen machine:
beat something in
beat something together
7. CONTROL/DEAL WITH [transitive] to successfully deal with a problem that you have been struggling with
SYN conquer:
8. HEART [intransitive] when your heart beats, it moves in a regular rhythm as it pumps your blood:
9. DRUMS [intransitive and transitive] if you beat drums, or if drums beat, they make a regular continuous sound
10. WINGS [intransitive and transitive] if a bird beats its wings, or if its wings beat, they move up and down quickly and regularly
SYN flap
11. take some beating if something or someone will take some beating, it will be difficult for anyone or anything to be or do better:
12. AVOID [transitive] to avoid situations in which a lot of people are trying to do something, usually by doing something early:
13. DO BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE [transitive] informal to get or do something before someone else, especially if you are both trying to do it first
beat somebody to something
14. beat about/around the bush to avoid or delay talking about something embarrassing or unpleasant:
15. beat the system to find ways of avoiding or breaking the rules of an organization, system etc, in order to achieve what you want:
16. beat a path to sb’s door (also beat down sb’s door) if people beat a path to your door, they are interested in something you are selling, a service you are providing etc:
17. beat a (hasty) retreat to leave somewhere or stop doing something very quickly, in order to avoid a bad situation:
18. beat the clock to finish something very quickly, especially before a particular time:
SPOKEN PHRASES
19. (it) beats me used to say that you do not know something, or cannot understand or explain it:
20. beat it! used to tell someone to leave at once, because they are annoying you or should not be there
21. can you beat that/it? used to show that you are surprised or annoyed by something:
22. beat your brains out to think about something very hard and for a long time:
23. if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em used when you decide to take part in something even though you disapprove of it, because everyone else is doing it and you cannot stop them
24. beat the rap American English informal to avoid being punished for something you have done
25. beat time to make regular movements or sounds to show the speed at which music should be played:
26. beat a path/track to make a path by walking over an area of land
27. to beat the band American English informal in large amounts or with great force:
28. beat the heat American English informal to make yourself cooler:
29. METAL (also beat out) [transitive] to hit metal with a hammer in order to shape it or make it thinner
30. HUNTING [intransitive and transitive] to force wild birds and animals out of bushes, long grass etc so that they can be shot for sport
31. beat your breast literary to show clearly that you are very upset or sorry about something
⇨ beaten, beating
| COLLOCATIONS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
■ phrases
▪
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
beat down phrasal verb
1. if the sun beats down, it shines very brightly and the weather is hot
2. if the rain beats down, it is raining very hard
3. beat the door down to hit a door so hard that it falls down
4. beat somebody down British English to persuade someone to reduce a price
beat somebody down to
5. beat somebody ↔ down to make someone feel defeated, so they no longer respect themselves:
beat off phrasal verb
1. beat somebody/something ↔ off to succeed in defeating someone who is attacking, opposing, or competing with you:
2. American English informal not polite if a man beats off, he masturbates
beat somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. if a drum or something else beats out a rhythm, or if you beat out a rhythm on a drum, it makes a continuous regular sound
2. especially American English to defeat someone in a competition:
beat somebody/something ↔ out for
3. to put out a fire by hitting it many times with something such as a cloth
beat up phrasal verb
1. beat somebody ↔ up to hurt someone badly by hitting them:
2. beat up on somebody American English to hit someone and harm them, especially someone younger or weaker than yourself
3. beat yourself up (also beat up on yourself American English) informal to blame yourself too much for something:
| II |
noun1. [countable] one of a series of regular movements or hitting actions: 2. [singular] a regular repeated noise
SYN rhythm
beat of
3. [countable] the main rhythm that a piece of music or a poem has:
4. [singular] a subject or area of a city that someone is responsible for as their job:
on the beat
5. [countable] one of the notes in a piece of music that sounds stronger than the other notes
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
| III |
adjective [not before noun]informal very tired
SYN exhausted:
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
rather
beat to hit sb/sth a lot of times, especially very hard 指反复敲打、使劲锤砸 ：◆ Someone was beating at the door. 有人在打门。 ◆ A young man was found beaten to death last night. 昨天夜里有人发现一名小伙子被打死了。 ◆ At that time, children were often beaten for quite minor offences (= .as a punishment )那时候孩子们常常因为很小的过错而挨打。 batter to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, especially in way that causes serious injury or damage 指连续猛击，尤指造成伤害或破坏 ：◆ He had been badly battered around the head and face. 他被打得鼻青脸肿。 ◆ Severe winds have been battering the coast. 狂风一直在海岸肆虐。 pound to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, especially in a way that makes a lot of noise 指连续猛击，尤指发出砰砰的撞击声 ：◆ Heavy rain pounded on the roof. 暴雨砰砰地砸在屋顶上。 lash to hit sb/sth with a lot of force 指猛击、狠打 ：◆ The rain lashed at the window. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。 NOTE The subject of lash is oftenrain, wind, hail, sea orwaves .* lash 的主语常为 rain、wind、hail、sea 或 waves。 hammer to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, in a way that is noisy or violent 指大声、猛烈地反复敲打、连续击打 ：◆ He hammered the door with his fists. 他不断地用拳头擂门。
pound or hammer? 用 pound 还是 hammer？
There is not much difference in meaning between these two, but to pound is sometimes a steadier action. Tohammer can be more violent and it is often used figuratively.这两个词意思差别不大，但 pound 有时指较匀速而稳定地击打；hammer 更猛烈，且常用作比喻。
Patterns
to beat/batter/pound/lash/hammer sb/sth with sthto beat/batter/pound/lash/hammer against sthto beat/batter/pound/hammer on sthto beat/batter/hammer sth down the rain/wind/sea beats/batters/pounds/lashes (at) sth
especially
beat to hit sb/sth a lot of times, especially very hard 指反复敲打、使劲锤砸 ：◆ Someone was beating at the door. 有人在打门。 ◆ A young man was found beaten to death last night. 昨天夜里有人发现一名小伙子被打死了。 ◆ At that time, children were often beaten for quite minor offences (= .as a punishment )那时候孩子们常常因为很小的过错而挨打。 batter to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, especially in way that causes serious injury or damage 指连续猛击，尤指造成伤害或破坏 ：◆ He had been badly battered around the head and face. 他被打得鼻青脸肿。 ◆ Severe winds have been battering the coast. 狂风一直在海岸肆虐。 pound to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, especially in a way that makes a lot of noise 指连续猛击，尤指发出砰砰的撞击声 ：◆ Heavy rain pounded on the roof. 暴雨砰砰地砸在屋顶上。 lash to hit sb/sth with a lot of force 指猛击、狠打 ：◆ The rain lashed at the window. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。 NOTE The subject of lash is oftenrain, wind, hail, sea orwaves .* lash 的主语常为 rain、wind、hail、sea 或 waves。 hammer to hit sb/sth hard a lot of times, in a way that is noisy or violent 指大声、猛烈地反复敲打、连续击打 ：◆ He hammered the door with his fists. 他不断地用拳头擂门。
pound or hammer? 用 pound 还是 hammer？
There is not much difference in meaning between these two, but to pound is sometimes a steadier action. Tohammer can be more violent and it is often used figuratively.这两个词意思差别不大，但 pound 有时指较匀速而稳定地击打；hammer 更猛烈，且常用作比喻。
Patterns
to beat/batter/pound/lash/hammer sb/sth with sthto beat/batter/pound/lash/hammer against sthto beat/batter/pound/hammer on sthto beat/batter/hammer sth down the rain/wind/sea beats/batters/pounds/lashes (at) sth
especially
