beat

You can use the verb "beat" to describe a victory over an opponent in a competition:

• He beat everyone. (past tense)
• He beats anyone he plays. (present tense).
• She has beaten her opponent. (present perfect)
• She has won against her opponent.

The word "beat" also means to hit:

• The man beat his wife and kids regularly until the police told him to stop.
• It’s not a good idea to beat your children.
• Marcelina beat her rugs to get the dirt out.
• A man at the bar beat up another man.

There are a few other ways of using this word:

• To make scrambled eggs, beat three or four eggs in a bowl, add a little milk, and then pour it into a frying pan.
• This song has a strong beat. (In this sentence the word "beat" is a noun similar to the word "rhythm.")
• I’m beat. (In this sentence, "beat" is an adjective. It means tired.)
• This place is beat. (It’s boring or not exciting.)

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

This page was first published on August 4, 2012. It was amended on January 9, 2015.