beat
gb/bˈit/ us/bˈit/
A2
English
~ 1300
legyőz, megver, ver, kiporol, ütlegel, felver, habosra ver, ritmus, szívverés, ütem, jobb, felülmúl
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to beat [someone] [in/at something]
Our team beat theirs in the final match.
A csapatunk legyőzte a csapatukat a döntő meccsen.
She finally beat him at chess after many tries.
Sok próbálkozás után végre legyőzte őt sakkban.
They beat the world champions to take the title.
The local club beat their rivals 3–1.
He beat me in a fair game.
Learner examples
We beat them in the game.
Legyőztük őket a játékban.
I want to beat my friend at tennis.
Le akarom győzni a barátomat teniszben.
She beat her brother at cards.
Our school beat another school.
He beat me at chess.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'beat' with 'win' — 'win' is used without an object ('We won'), but 'beat' needs an object ('We beat them').
Meaning
Defeat in a contest
Collocations
beat the champion
|beat the record
|beat the opponent
|beat the odds
Synonyms
defeat (More formal and common in written contexts; otherwise similar meaning.)
Antonyms
lose to (Indicates failing to win against someone.)
Themes
sports
|competition
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To win against someone in a game or fight.
To win against someone in a game, competition, or other contest.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to beat [someone/something]
The police claimed he beat the suspect during questioning.
A rendőrség azt állította, hogy kihallgatás közben verte a gyanúsítottat.
She beat the rug to get the dust out.
Kiporolta a szőnyeget, hogy kijöjjön belőle a por.
The soldiers beat their shields with their swords.
He beat the punching bag for an hour.
They beat the thief before handing him over.
Learner examples
He beat the drum loudly.
Hangosan verte a dobot.
She beat the carpet outside.
Kint kiporolta a szőnyeget.
The man beat the door with his fist.
The boy beat the ball with a stick.
They beat him with a rope.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with 'defeat'; here it means physical hitting, not winning a contest.
Meaning
Hit again and again
Collocations
beat the drum
|beat the carpet
|beat the enemy
Synonyms
strike (A more general word for hitting; not always repeated.)
Antonyms
caress (Means to touch gently instead of hitting.)
Themes
violence
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To hit someone or something again and again.
To strike someone or something repeatedly, often with force.
VERB
A2
3
felver
B1
habosra ver
B1
Usage pattern:
to beat [ingredient] [until/as specified]
Beat the eggs until they are fluffy.
Verd fel a tojásokat, amíg habosak nem lesznek.
She beat the cream for five minutes.
Öt percig habosra verte a tejszínt.
Beat the batter until smooth.
You need to beat the mixture hard for best results.
The chef beat the sauce quickly.
Learner examples
Beat the eggs with a fork.
Verd fel a tojásokat egy villával.
She beats the cream every morning.
Minden reggel felveri a tejszínt.
Beat the butter until soft.
I will beat the cake mix now.
Please beat the soup well.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this cooking sense with hitting; context about food preparation is key.
Meaning
Mix food quickly
Collocations
beat the eggs
|beat until smooth
|beat the cream
Synonyms
whisk (Specifically refers to beating lightly to add air.)
Antonyms
fold in (A gentler mixing method, opposite of vigorous beating.)
Themes
cooking
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To mix food very fast with a tool.
To stir or whip food ingredients quickly and strongly, usually with a fork, whisk, or mixer.
NOUN
A2
4
The song has a fast beat.
A dalnak gyors ritmusa van.
I could hear the steady beat of his heart.
Hallottam az egyenletes szívverését.
The drums kept up a strong beat.
She danced to the beat of the music.
The march had a slow, heavy beat.
Learner examples
The music has a slow beat.
A zenének lassú ritmusa van.
I hear my heart's beat.
Hallom a szívverésemet.
The drum makes a loud beat.
We dance to the beat.
The machine makes a regular beat.
Meaning
Regular rhythmic sound
Collocations
steady beat
|drum beat
|heartbeat
Synonyms
rhythm (Refers more generally to the pattern of beats.)
Antonyms
silence (Absence of sound or rhythm.)
Themes
music
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
A steady sound that repeats, like in music or a heart.
A regular sound or movement, especially in music or from something moving repeatedly.
VERB
B1
5
Usage pattern:
to beat [something]
You can't beat fresh bread in the morning.
Reggel nincs jobb a friss kenyérnél.
This deal beats anything I've seen before.
Ez az ajánlat jobb mindennél, amit eddig láttam.
Her performance beats last year's by far.
Nothing beats a cold drink on a hot day.
That camera beats mine easily.
Learner examples
This phone beats my old one.
Ez a telefon jobb a réginél.
Nothing beats home cooking.
Nincs jobb a házi kosztnál.
Her score beats mine.
This shop beats all others for price.
The new movie beats the old one.
Meaning
Be better than something else
Collocations
can't beat that
|beat the price
|beat expectations
Synonyms
surpass (Slightly more formal; used in similar contexts.)
Antonyms
fall short of (Means to not reach the same quality or standard.)
Themes
comparison
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be better than something else.
To be better than something else in quality, performance, or value.
Grammar
Dictionary form
beat
IPA
GB/bˈit/
US/bˈit/
Syllables & stress
beat (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (beat)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: beat
- Plural: beats
Verb
- Base: beat
- 3rd Person Singular: beats
- Present Participle: beating
- Past: beat
- Past Participle: beaten
Word family
Forms
beats
noun
beating
verb
beaten
verb
Core family
beater
noun
Related words
heartbeat
noun
upbeat
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unbeatable
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
beatable
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular past: beat Verb
- Irregular past participle: beaten Verb
Expressions
beat it
1/bˈit ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Leave immediately from somewhere
To go away right now; often used as an order.
Examples
- Beat it! I don’t want to see you here again.
- We’d better beat it before trouble starts.
can't beat something
1/kˈænt bˈit sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Best possible option available
Used to say that something is the best and nothing is better than it.
Examples
- You can't beat a hot shower after work.
- For value, you can't beat this deal.
if you can't beat them, join them
1/ˈɪf jˈu kˈænt bˈit ðˈɛm | d͡ʒˈɔɪn ðˈɛm/
idiom
Cooperate when you can't win
If you cannot win against someone, it may be better to work with them instead of fighting them.
Examples
- I decided, if you can't beat them, join them, and took a job at their company.
- He stopped competing and joined their team—if you can't beat them, join them.
off the beaten track
1/ˈɔf ðə bˈitən tɹˈæk/
idiom
Remote or unusual location
Far from places where many people usually go; not common or popular.
Examples
- We found a small village off the beaten track.
- His ideas are really off the beaten track.
beat around the bush
1/bˈit ɚˈaʊnd ðə bˈʊʃ/
idiom
informal
Avoid direct topic discussion
To talk about other things instead of saying what is important or true.
Examples
- Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
- She never answers directly; she always beats around the bush.