beat
verb uk/biːt/ us/biːt/ beat | beaten or beat
(DEFEAT)
B1 [ T ]打败，战胜
to defeat or do better than
Simon always beats me at tennis. 西蒙打网球总是赢我。
Holland beat Belgium (by) 3–1. 荷兰队3比1战胜比利时队。
The Miami Heat beat the Pacers 95-90/by five points. 迈阿密热火队以95比90分/5分的优势击败步行者队。
Our team was comfortably/easily/soundly beaten in the first round of the competition. 在第一轮比赛中我们队被对手轻松地／毫不费劲儿地／彻底打败了。
The Nationalists were narrowly beaten in the election. 国民党人在地方选举中以微弱劣势落败。
He beat me fair and square (= without cheating). 他光明磊落地击败了我。
They were beaten hands down (= completely) by their opponents. 他们被对手彻底打败了。
She has beaten her own record of three minutes ten seconds. 她打破了自己创造的3分10秒的纪录。
B2 informal（非正式）比…好；比…更有乐趣
to be better or more enjoyable than another activity or experience
[ + -ing verb ] Taking the bus sure beats walking. 坐公共汽车当然比走路好。
slang Taking the bus beats the hell out of (= is much better than) walking all the way there. 坐公共汽车比一路走到那儿要好得多。
You can't beat (= there is nothing more enjoyable than) a cold beer on a hot afternoon. 在炎热的下午，没有什么比喝上一杯冰镇啤酒更爽的了。
[ T ]对…采取预防措施；避免
To beat something that is going to happen is to take action before the thing happens.
Let's try to beat the traffic by leaving early in the morning. 我们争取早上早点出发以避免交通拥堵。
I always do my shopping early to beat the rush. 我总是很早就去购物以避开高峰时段。
beat someone to it 比…先下手，抢先于…做
to do something before someone else does it
I was just going to clean the kitchen, but you beat me to it. 我刚准备打扫厨房，你已经抢先做完了。
- More examples
- Paul beat me by three games to two .
- With this new product, we are well situated to beat our competitors.
- They will be a tough team to beat.
- The Liberal Democrats may form a pact with Labour to try to beat the Conservatives in the next election.
- She came within two seconds of beating the world record.
(HIT)
B2 [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ]（接连地）打，击
to hit repeatedly
They saw him beating his dog with a stick. 他们看见他用棍子打他的狗。
The child had been brutally/savagely beaten. 孩子遭到了毒打。
She was beaten to death. 她被活活打死了。
[ + obj + adj ] He was beaten senseless. 他被打昏了。
Beat the drum. 打起鼓来。
The rain was beating down incessantly on the tin roof. 雨点不断地打在锡皮屋顶上。
beat a path through something 在…中踏出一条路；在…中开辟道路
to form a path in an area where long grass or bushes grow closely together, by hitting the plants with your hands or an object, or by stepping on them
We beat a path through the undergrowth. 我们在矮树丛中开辟出一条路来。
- More examples
- The rain beat against her face as she struggled through the wind.
- They've threatened to beat him to a jelly if he doesn't repay the money.
- People were shocked by the advertisement which depicted a woman beating her husband.
- His bruises lent credence to his statement that he had been beaten.
- I felt sick when I heard about the prisoners being beaten.
(MIX)
C1 （用如勺子或搅拌器等器具）搅打，搅拌
to mix something repeatedly using a utensil such as a spoon or whisk
To make an omelette you first beat the eggs. 要做煎蛋饼，必须先把鸡蛋打匀。
(MOVEMENT)
B1 [ I or T ]（使）跳动;拍打;敲打
to (cause to) make a regular movement or sound
The doctor could feel no pulse beating. 医生感觉不到脉搏的跳动。
Her heart started to beat faster. 她开始心跳加快。
The hummingbird beats its wings at great speed. 蜂鸟高速振动翅膀。
beat time 打拍子
to make a regular sound or movement to music
- More examples
- They danced to the beat of the drums.
- The beat of the music was strangely hypnotic.
- The car radio was pumping out music with a heavy beat.
- Every time he looks at me my heart skips a beat.
- Waltzes have three beats in/to the bar.
Idioms More idioms
beat someone at their own gameidiom 以其人之道还治其人之身
to use to your own advantage the methods by which someone else has tried to defeat you
beat someone hollowidiom UK 轻而易举击败，取得压倒性胜利
to defeat someone easily and by a large amount
We played my brother's school at basketball and beat them hollow. 我们跟弟弟学校的小队进行了篮球比赛，轻而易举就赢了他们。
beat someone's brains outidiom informal 反复重击
to hit someone repeatedly with great force
beat your breast/chestidiom 捶胸顿足
to show how sad or guilty you feel in an obvious or public way
There's no point in beating your breast about losing the money - you won't get it back. 丢了钱捶胸顿足也无济于事——钱也找不回来。
beat a path to someone's dooridiom 急切地想从…处购买（或获得）
to be eager to buy or get something from someone
She was a successful lawyer and had clients beating a path to her door. 她是一位非常成功的律师，有一大众客户抢着请她。
beat a retreatidiom (also beat your retreat) 仓皇撤退，匆匆离开
to run away from a dangerous or unpleasant situation
When we saw the police arriving we beat a hasty retreat. 我们看见警察来了就急忙溜走了。
beat around the bushidiom (UK also beat about the bush)C1 （说话）转弯抹角，兜圈子
to avoid talking about what is important
Don't beat around the bush - get to the point! 别兜圈子了——有话直说！
beat a dead horseidiom US informal (UK informal flog a dead horse) 做无用功，做徒劳无益的事
to waste effort on something when there is no chance of succeeding
He keeps trying to get it published but I think he's beating a dead horse. 他一个劲儿地想将其出版，但我认为他在白费力气。
beat it!idiom slang 走开！
go away!
beat the rapidiom US 逃脱责任;逃脱惩罚
to escape or avoid blame or punishment
if you can't beat 'em, join 'emidiom informal saying 随大流吧。
said when you accept that you cannot be as successful as other people without doing what they do, even though you do not approve of or agree with it
it beats meidiom slang (also what beats me) 我不理解，我不明白
said when you do not understand a situation or someone's behaviour
It beats me how she got the job. 我不明白她是怎么得到这份工作的。
What beats me is why she stays with him. 我不理解她为什么跟他在一起。
take some beatingidiom 难以超越
If something takes some beating, it is so good that it is hard to improve on it.
His new world record will take some beating. 他新创造的世界纪录将很难打破。
that beats everythingidiom slang (US also that beats all) （表示非常惊讶）真是从来没有的怪事
used to express great surprise
You mean she just left her job without telling anyone she was going? Well, that beats everything! 你是说她刚刚离职却没有告诉任何人她要走了？嗬，这可真是怪事！
Phrasal verbs More phrasal verbs
beat someone/something back 击退，逐回
to use force to move someone or something away from you
Riot police beat back the crowds of demonstrators. 防暴警察把示威人群逐退了。
beat down 曝晒
If the sun beats down, it shines very strongly and makes the air very hot.
The tropical sun beat down on them mercilessly. 热带阳光无情地暴晒着他们。
beat someone down 说服（某人）降价;杀价
to persuade someone to accept a lower amount of money for something
He wanted £75 for the bike, but I managed to beat him down to £50. 这辆自行车他要价75英镑，但我设法把价格杀到50英镑。
beat someone off 击退，打退，击败
to manage to defeat someone who is attacking you
She beat off her attacker by hitting him with her handbag. 她挥舞手提包把那个袭击她的人打退了。
figurative The company managed to beat off the competition and secure the contract. 公司设法打败了竞争者，获得了合同。
beat off 手淫
to masturbate
beat something out 打拍子;用鼓点奏出节拍;敲打伴奏
to make sounds that have a particular rhythm by hitting something such as a drum
The drummer beat out a steady rhythm while we marched. 我们随着鼓手打出的稳健节拍大步前进。
扑灭（火）
to make a fire go out by hitting it repeatedly with an object, such as a large piece of cloth
She beat the flames out with her bare hands. 她赤手空拳扑灭了大火。
beat someone out 战胜，打败
to defeat someone or do better than them in a competition, sport, or business
They beat out several other rivals for the contract. 他们打败几个对手后获得了合同。
beat something out of someone 拷打，逼供
to make someone say things they do not want to by hitting them
The men claimed that the police had beaten the confession out of them. 这些人声称，他们的供词是警方刑讯逼供的结果。
beat someone upB2 殴打，虐待
to hurt someone badly by hitting or kicking them repeatedly
He claims he was beaten up by the police. 他声称遭到了警方的殴打。
beat yourself up （过分）怪罪自己，苛求自己
to blame or criticize yourself, usually in a way that is unfair or unnecessary
If you fail, don't beat yourself up; just try again. 如果你失败了，不要过分怪罪自己，大不了再试试。
beat up on someone 揍，痛打
to hurt someone by hitting or kicking them many times
Kids used to beat up on him after school. 以前那些孩子放学后常常打他。
（不公正地）批评，抨击
to criticize someone unfairly
She didn’t like being beaten up on by the press. 在媒体上受到不公正的抨击，她很不高兴。
beat
adjective [ after verb ] informal uk/biːt/ us/biːt/
（极度）疲劳，疲惫
extremely tired
I'm beat - I'm going to bed. 我很累，要去睡觉了。
You've been working too hard, you look dead beat. 你最近工作太辛苦了，看起来非常疲惫。
See also: deadbeat noun
beat
noun uk/biːt/ us/biːt/
(MOVEMENT)
B2 [ C or U ]（尤指心脏）连续的跳动（声）
a regular movement or sound, especially that made by your heart
I put my head on his chest but I could feel no heartbeat. 我把头贴近他的胸口，但感觉不到他的心跳。
My heart skipped a beat (= I felt very excited) when she said, "Yes, I'll marry you". 当她说出“是的，我愿意嫁给你”时，我激动得心跳顿了一下。
- More examples
- They danced to the beat of the drums.
- The beat of the music was strangely hypnotic.
- The car radio was pumping out music with a heavy beat.
- Every time he looks at me my heart skips a beat.
- Waltzes have three beats in/to the bar.
(MUSIC)
B2 [ C or U ]（音乐的）节拍，拍子
in music, a regular emphasis, or a place in the music where such an emphasis is expected
The guitar comes in on the third beat. 吉他在第3拍加入。
Make sure you play on the beat. 表演一定要跟上节拍。
He tapped his foot to the beat (= rhythm) of the music. 他的脚随着音乐的节拍，轻轻打着拍子。
(AREA)
[ C usually singular ]（巡警的）巡逻区域;工作区域
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job
Bob has worked as an officer on this particular beat for 20 years. 鲍勃在这个区域已经当警官巡逻了20年。
be on/walking the beat （巡警）在步行巡逻
A police officer who is on/walking the beat is on duty, walking around rather than driving in a police car.