beat,

modif.

1. *Tired

   weary, fatigued, worn out; see tired.

2. Unconventional

   Bohemian, beatnik, Left Bank; see unconventional.

beat

n.

1. A stroke

   thump, punch, strike, hit, lash, slap, swing, shake; see also blow 1.

2. A throb

   pulsation, pulse, cadence, vibration, drum, throb, pound, thump, tick, oscillation, flow, surge, ripple, impulse, undulation, palpitation, flutter, rhythm, tattoo, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat-tat, pitapat, pitter-patter.

3. A unit of music

   accent, vibration, division, stress, measure, rhythm, meter, time, tempo, downbeat, upbeat, offbeat.

beat

v.

1. To strike repeatedly

   pound, hammer, pummel, batter, whack, strike, hit, bang, drum, thump, knock, rap; see also sense 2, hit 1.

2. To thrash

   punish, whip, flog, castigate, drub, club, trounce, spank, smite, scourge, switch, lash, slap, smack, punch, cuff, box, pummel, strap, birch, cane, flagellate, horsewhip, pistol-whip, buffet, beat up, give a thumping, lay on blows, rap, strike, hit, knock, lambaste, ram, pound, cudgel, bludgeon, bastinado, bat, flail, batter, maul, maltreat, belabor, clout, clobber*, lace*, bang*, swat*, thump*, slug*, beat black and blue*, pound to a jelly, beat to a jelly, beat to a paste*, hide*, give it to*, let have it*, give a workout*, whale*, belt*, sock*, whack*, trim*, beat the tar out of*, knock the tar out of*, knock the daylights out of*, knock the hell out of*, knock the stuffing out of*, lick the pants off of*, larrup*, wallop*, lick*, paste*, bash*, whang*, lay into*, baste*, work over*, rough up*, thwack*, whop*, paddle*, crown*, lather*, leather*, tan*, tan one's hide*, knock one's block off*.

3. To pulsate

   pound, thump, strike, throb, hammer, tick, ripple, flutter, flap, undulate, ebb and flow, vibrate, swing, palpitate, rise and fall, fluctuate, flicker, oscillate, pulse, dash against, buffet, pitapat, go pitapat.

4. To worst

   overcome, surpass, conquer; see defeat 1, 2, 3.

5. To mix

   stir, whip, whisk; see mix 1.

6. *To perplex

   puzzle, baffle, befuddle; see confuse.

7. *To swindle

   defraud, cheat, dupe; see deceive.

beat, the most general word in this comparison, conveys the basic idea of hitting or striking repeatedly, whether with the hands, a stick, or other instrument; pound suggests heavier, more effective blows than beatto pound with a hammer; pummel implies the beating of a person with the fists and suggests a continuous, indiscriminate rain of damaging blows; thrash, originally referring to the beating of grain with a flail, suggests similar broad, swinging strokes, as in striking a person repeatedly with a stick or whip; flog implies punishment by the infliction of repeated blows with a strap, whip, stick, etc.; whip, often used as an equivalent of flog, specifically suggests lashing strokes or motions; maul implies the infliction of repeated heavy blows so as to bruise or lacerate: most of these terms are used loosely, esp. by journalists, in describing a decisive victory in a contest