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to beat

to beat

156 1.0
To stir food quickly and strongly so it becomes smooth or light
  • verb
  • /biːt/
translation icon : batir
  • You should beat the cream until it forms soft peaks for the dessert.

Examples

  • One of the Irish musicians beat a drum furiously as the crisis mounted.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Then you need to beat that until you see peaks in it.

  • And in this case, we have to beat it with the brown sugar.

  • So we start beating it drop by drop.

  • So I I just beat a few eggs with a few eggs.

  • Students can also move, beat, clap, or drum the syncopation or bass parts of the music.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Suddenly, Yuvan took up a frame drum and beat upon it, gradually increasing the tempo.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Winsom ministered to him, bringing him an egg beaten in brandy and possets of sweet woodruff.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

  • To make the dough, beat in the flour gradually until fully combined.

Synonyms

to whip
vsto beat
153 2.4

To beat cream or eggs quickly until they become thick and full of air

uses rapid repeated movement for vigorous mixing without aiming to add air
to stir
vsto beat
152 1.0

To mix a liquid by moving it with a spoon

uses rapid repeated movement for vigorous mixing rather than gentle turning
to whisk
vsto beat
38 2.8

To beat eggs or cream quickly to make them light

uses rapid repeated movement for vigorous mixing rather than delicate light motions
to pattle
vsto beat
  • Archaic
9.9

To beat or stir something by hitting it lightly with a flat tool

uses rapid repeated movement for vigorous mixing, not light striking

Antonyms

2.3

To avoid touching and disturbing a person, animal or object

Idioms

To succeed despite great difficulty or low chances

to beat to a pulp
  • Offensive
15 7.6

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt or win against them very clearly

To do something before someone else to get an advantage

on the beat
  • Literature
10 5.5

Working in one area, usually as a police officer or reporter

to skip a beat
  • Informal
9 6.1

To feel your heart stop for a moment because you are suddenly excited or scared

To finish something before the time runs out

To defeat someone by using their own methods

3 5.5

To act immediately and confidently without pausing

3 7.7

Win easily by a lot against another person or team

Search carefully in many places to find someone or something

To speak or act strongly to support a cause

to beat feet
  • Slang
2 9.0

To leave quickly to escape or avoid something

To move or act together at the same time in the same way

To work very hard or to threaten to hit someone

1 9.0

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt

to beat my brain
  • Informal
1 8.2

To think very hard to remember something or to solve a problem

to beat the band
  • Informal
1 8.9

To do something with great energy and excitement

To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble

To do much better than people expected

Push away a lot of people or fans as a joke about being too popular

9.1

Show deep regret by hitting your chest and crying

to beat one's meat
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch his own penis to feel sexual pleasure

To change weapons into tools for peaceful work like farming

to beat the bishop
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch your own private parts to make yourself sexually excited

9.9

Get up very early before sunrise

9.9

A person or thing that looks very ugly, said as a joke

7.5

Always alert and ready to react to news and events

Phrasal Verbs

to beat up
  • Offensive
271 4.1

To attack someone by hitting them again and again to hurt them

53 9.9

To hurt or defeat someone very badly, often by hitting them

49 3.8

Defeat others in a contest to win a job or prize

17 5.6

To avoid saying what you mean directly

14 6.0

To force someone or something to move away

to beat on
  • Informal
13 5.0

To keep going despite difficulty or to make a steady sound like rain on a roof

4 3.9

To shine or fall very strongly on a place

2 3.6

Make a rhythm by hitting something repeatedly, like a drum

Arrive before most people to avoid large groups

to beat off
  • Informal
1 8.1

Make animals or people who attack you go away

1 9.9

To defeat someone completely, often physically or in a game, used in rude speech

to beat down
  • Informal
1 4.9

To get someone to sell something for a lower price

to beat in
  • Informal
1 7.2

To train someone by repeating something until they learn it

Speak strongly in public to support a person, idea, or cause

To hit someone or something very hard and damage it

to pound a beat
  • Informal
1 7.7

Play a loud, strong rhythm on a drum or instrument

7.4

Move around looking for something in a worried or confused way

To seem weak or not convincing next to something better

To win against other teams or companies in a contest

To remove dust from rugs by hitting or shaking them

9.6

Hit someone many times so they become badly hurt

Compounds

2 8.0

A group of American writers and artists from the 1950s who reject social rules and choose free creative lives

beat combo
  • Archaic
1 6.5

A small band that plays rhythm music for dancing

beat music
  • Archaic
1 4.0

A style of pop rock from 1960s Britain with strong rhythms and simple melodies

staccato beat
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Short, sharp musical sounds that have clear gaps between notes

type beat
  • Jargon
7.7

A music track made in the style of a popular artist

How Vigorous

to whip
153 2.4
to beat
156 1.0
to whisk
38 2.8
to stir
152 1.0

Surface Forms

beat infinitive
beating present participle
beats third person singular
beat past
beaten past participle

Etymology

The cooking verb beat comes from the idea of moving quickly with repeated hits, like beating eggs with a fork. So to beat ingredients is to mix them with quick, repeated motion.