Beat vs. Stroke — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 29, 2024
"Beat" refers to a rhythmic strike or pulsation, often used in music and describing heart activity, while "stroke" involves a linear motion or action and medically refers to a serious brain injury.
Difference Between Beat and Stroke
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
In music, a "beat" is the basic unit of time, the pulse regularly repeated in the rhythm. This musical beat creates the tempo and is fundamental in compositions and performances. In contrast, "stroke" in a musical context refers to the movement of playing an instrument, such as the stroke of a drumstick or guitar pick.
A "beat" refers to the contraction of the heart, pumping blood throughout the body. This term emphasizes the rhythmic, repeating nature of the heart's function. "Stroke" in medical terms, however, refers to a condition where blood flow to the brain is interrupted or reduced, causing potential brain damage a stark contrast to the rhythmic life-sustaining action of a heartbeat.
"Beat" can also be used as a verb meaning to strike repeatedly or to defeat someone in a competition, such as "He beat the drum" or "She beat her opponent in the match." "Stroke" as a verb often has a gentler connotation, meaning to move one's hand lightly and smoothly over a surface, exemplified in "She stroked the cat's fur."
In sports, the term "beat" can be used to describe a player or team winning over another, as in "Our team beat theirs 3-1." Meanwhile, "stroke" can refer to a specific type of hit or movement, such as in swimming or rowing, where technique and form are critical, e.g., "He perfected his backstroke."
Both "beat" and "stroke" can describe types of movements, but they are used in different contexts: "beat" typically implies a more aggressive or rhythmic action, whereas "stroke" implies a single, smoother motion.
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Comparison Chart
Definition in Music
Basic unit of time in rhythm.
Movement in playing an instrument.
Medical Meaning
Heart's rhythmic contraction.
Brain injury from blood flow disruption.
Common Verbal Use
To strike repeatedly; to win in competition.
To move hand lightly and smoothly over a surface.
Use in Sports
Winning against an opponent.
Specific movement or technique.
Connotation
Aggressive or rhythmic action.
Gentle, smooth motion.
Compare with Definitions
Beat
To defeat someone in a competition.
She beat the champion in the final round.
Stroke
An act of hitting or striking.
Each stroke of the hammer drove the nail deeper.
Beat
A main accent or rhythmic unit in music or poetry.
The drummer set the beat for the band.
Stroke
Movement of the limbs in swimming.
The swimmer practiced his freestyle stroke.
Beat
Regular, rhythmic impact or sound.
He could feel the beat of his heart.
Stroke
A single, continuous movement.
With a stroke of the pen, she signed her name.
Beat
To strike something repeatedly.
Beat the eggs until they are fluffy.
Stroke
To caress gently.
He stroked the dog's head affectionately.
Beat
To surpass or do better than.
This offer beats all others we've seen.
Stroke
A sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain.
He suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak.
Beat
To strike repeatedly.
Stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding.
Beat
To subject to repeated beatings or physical abuse; batter.
Stroke
An act of hitting or striking someone or something; a blow
He received three strokes of the cane
Beat
To punish by hitting or whipping; flog.
Stroke
A mark made by drawing a pen, pencil, or paintbrush in one direction across paper or canvas
The paint had been applied in careful, regular strokes
Beat
To strike against repeatedly and with force; pound
Waves beating the shore.
Stroke
An act of moving one's hand across a surface with gentle pressure
Massage the cream into your skin using light upward strokes
Beat
To flap (wings, for example).
Stroke
Each of a series of movements in which something moves out of its position and back into it
The ray swam with effortless strokes of its huge wings
Beat
To strike so as to produce music or a signal
Beat a drum.
Stroke
A sudden disabling attack or loss of consciousness caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain, especially through thrombosis
Smoking increases the risk of stroke
He was left disabled by a stroke
Beat
(Music) To mark or count (time or rhythm), especially with the hands or with a baton.
Stroke
Move one's hand with gentle pressure over (a surface), typically repeatedly; caress
He put his hand on her hair and stroked it
Beat
To shape or break by repeated blows; forge
Beat the glowing metal into a dagger.
Stroke
Act as the stroke of (a boat or crew)
He stroked the coxed four to victory
Beat
To make by pounding or trampling
Beat a path through the jungle.
Stroke
Hit or kick (a ball) smoothly and deliberately
Markwick stroked the ball home
Beat
To mix rapidly with a utensil
Beat two eggs in a bowl.
Stroke
The act or an instance of striking, as with the hand, a weapon, or a tool; a blow or impact.
Beat
To defeat or subdue, as in a contest.
Stroke
The striking of a bell or gong.
Beat
To force to withdraw or retreat
Beat back the enemy.
Stroke
The sound so produced.
Beat
To dislodge from a position
I beat him down to a lower price.
Stroke
The time so indicated
At the stroke of midnight.
Beat
(Informal) To be superior to or better than
Riding beats walking.
Stroke
A sudden action or process having a strong impact or effect
A stroke of lightning.
Beat
(Slang) To perplex or baffle
It beats me.
I don't know the answer.
Stroke
A sudden occurrence or result
A stroke of luck.
A stroke of misfortune.
Beat
To avoid or counter the effects of, often by thinking ahead; circumvent
Beat the traffic.
Stroke
A sudden severe attack, as of paralysis or sunstroke.
Beat
To arrive or finish before (another)
We beat you home by five minutes.
Stroke
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, diminution or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain. Also called cerebral accident, cerebrovascular accident.
Beat
To deprive, as by craft or ability
He beat me out of 20 dollars with his latest scheme.
Stroke
An inspired or effective idea or act
A stroke of genius.
Beat
(Physics) To cause a reference wave to combine with (a second wave) so that the frequency of the second wave can be studied through time variations in the amplitude of the combination.
Stroke
A single uninterrupted movement, especially when repeated or in a back-and-forth motion
The stroke of a pendulum.
Beat
To inflict repeated blows.
Stroke
A keystroke.
Beat
To pulsate; throb.
Stroke
Any of a series of movements of a piston from one end of the limit of its motion to another.
Beat
To emit sound when struck
The gong beat thunderously.
Stroke
A single completed movement of the limbs and body, as in swimming or rowing.
Beat
To strike a drum.
Stroke
The manner or rate of executing such a movement
My favorite stroke is butterfly. She had a very rapid stroke.
Beat
To flap repeatedly.
Stroke
The rower who sits nearest the coxswain or the stern and sets the tempo for the other rowers.
Beat
To shine or glare intensely
The sun beat down on us all day.
Stroke
The position occupied by this person.
Beat
To fall in torrents
The rain beat on the roof.
Stroke
A movement of the upper torso and arms for the purpose of striking a ball, as in golf or tennis.
Beat
To hunt through woods or underbrush in search of game.
Stroke
The manner of executing such a movement.
Beat
(Nautical) To sail upwind by tacking repeatedly.
Stroke
A scoring unit in golf counted for such a movement
Finished six strokes under par.
Beat
A stroke or blow, especially one that produces a sound or serves as a signal.
Stroke
A single mark made by a writing or marking implement, such as a pen.
Beat
A pulsation or throb.
Stroke
The act of making such a mark.
Beat
(Physics) A variation in the amplitude of a wave, especially that which results from the superpositioning of two or more waves of different frequencies. When sound waves are combined, the beat is heard as a pulsation in the sound.
Stroke
A printed line in a graphic character that resembles such a mark.
Beat
A steady succession of units of rhythm.
Stroke
A distinctive effect or deft touch, as in literary composition.
Beat
A gesture used by a conductor to indicate such a unit.
Stroke
A light caressing movement, as of the hand.
Beat
A pattern of stress that produces the rhythm of verse.
Stroke
To mark with a single short line.
Beat
A variable unit of time measuring a pause taken by an actor, as for dramatic effect.
Stroke
To draw a line through; cancel
Stroked out the last sentence.
Beat
The area regularly covered by a reporter, a police officer, or a sentry
Television's culture beat.
Stroke
(Nautical) To set the pace for (a rowing crew).
Beat
The reporting of a news item obtained ahead of one's competitors.
Stroke
To hit or propel (a ball, for example) with a smoothly regulated swing.
Beat
Often Beat A member of the Beat Generation.
Stroke
To make or perform a stroke.
Beat
(Informal) Worn-out; fatigued.
Stroke
(Nautical) To row at a particular rate per minute.
Beat
Often Beat Of or relating to the Beat Generation.
Stroke
To rub lightly with or as if with the hand or something held in the hand; caress.
Beat
A stroke; a blow.
Stroke
(Informal) To behave attentively or flatteringly toward (someone), especially in order to restore confidence or gain cooperation.
Beat
A pulsation or throb.
A beat of the heart
The beat of the pulse
Stroke
An act of hitting; a blow, a hit.
A stroke on the chin
Beat
(music) A pulse on the beat level, the metric level at which pulses are heard as the basic unit. Thus a beat is the basic time unit of a piece.
Stroke
An act of striking with a weapon; a blow.
Beat
A rhythm.
I love watching her dance to a pretty drum beat with a bouncy rhythm!
Stroke
A single movement with a tool; also, an impact of a tool on an object.
Beat
(music) The rhythm signalled by a conductor or other musician to the members of a group of musicians.
Stroke
An act, or the sound, of the clapper or hammer of a clock hitting a bell or other striking mechanism; hence, the time when such a strike occurs.
On the stroke of midnight
Beat
The instrumental portion of a piece of hip-hop music.
Stroke
(ball games) An act of hitting or trying to hit a ball; also, the manner in which this is done.
Beat
The interference between two tones of almost equal frequency
Stroke
A movement similar to that of hitting.
Beat
(authorship) A short pause in a play, screenplay, or teleplay, for dramatic or comedic effect.
Stroke
One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished.
The stroke of a bird’s wing in flying
Beat
(by extension) An area of a person's responsibility, especially
Stroke
A beat or throb, as of the heart or pulse.
Beat
The route patrolled by a police officer or a guard.
To walk the beat
Stroke
(technology) A single movement or thrust of a part (such as a piston) of a machine that moves back and forth; also, the length of this movement.
Beat
(journalism) The primary focus of a reporter's stories (such as police/courts, education, city government, business etc.).
Stroke
(figuratively)
Beat
(dated) An act of reporting news or scientific results before a rival; a scoop.
Stroke
An act causing hurt or death, especially when seen as divine punishment.
The stroke of death
Beat
That which beats, or surpasses, another or others.
The beat of him
Stroke
A damaging occurrence, especially if sudden; a blow, a calamity.
Beat
A precinct.
Stroke
An amount of work; specifically, a large amount of business or work.
A stroke of business
Beat
(dated) A place of habitual or frequent resort.
Stroke
A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done or produced; also, something accomplished by such an effort; an achievement, a feat.
A stroke of genius
A master stroke of policy
Beat
(archaic) A low cheat or swindler.
A dead beat
Stroke
A movement of a brush in painting, of a chisel in carving, of a pen, pencil, or such implement in drawing or writing, etc., in one direction; hence, a line or mark made on a surface by such an implement.
Beat
(hunting) The act of scouring, or ranging over, a tract of land to rouse or drive out game; also, those so engaged, collectively.
Stroke
A distinctive expression in a written composition; a touch.
To give some finishing strokes to an essay
Beat
(fencing) A smart tap on the adversary's blade.
Stroke
Influence; power.
Beat
(slang) A makeup look; compare beat one's face.
Stroke
(turn-based games) A masterful or effective action.
Beat
A beatnik.
Stroke
(medicine) The loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted.
Suffer a stroke
Beat
(transitive) To hit; to strike.
As soon as she heard that her father had died, she went into a rage and beat the wall with her fists until her knuckles bled.
Stroke
(sciences) An individual discharge of lightning, particularly if causing damage.
A flash of lightning may be made up of several strokes. If they are separated by enough time for the eye to distinguish them, the lightning will appear to flicker.
Beat
(transitive) To strike or pound repeatedly, usually in some sort of rhythm.
He danced hypnotically while she beat the atabaque.
Stroke
(obsolete)
Beat
(intransitive) To strike repeatedly; to inflict repeated blows; to knock vigorously or loudly.
Stroke
The effect or result of a striking; affliction or injury; a bruise or wound; soreness.
Beat
(intransitive) To move with pulsation or throbbing.
Stroke
Chiefly in to have a good stroke: appetite.
Beat
(transitive) To win against; to defeat or overcome; to do or be better than (someone); to excel in a particular, competitive event.
Jan had little trouble beating John in tennis. He lost five games in a row.
No matter how quickly Joe finished his test, Roger always beat him.
I just can't seem to beat the last level of this video game.
Stroke
(medicine) A sudden attack of any illness, especially if causing loss of consciousness or movement, or when fatal.
A stroke of apoplexy
Beat
To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
Stroke
(music) A bow or pluck of a string or strings of a stringed instrument; also, the manner in which a musical instrument is played; hence, a melody, a tune.
Beat
(transitive) To strike (water, foliage etc.) in order to drive out game; to travel through (a forest etc.) for hunting.
Stroke
An act of moving one's hand or an object along a surface in one direction, touching it lightly; a caress.
She gave the cat a stroke.
Beat
To mix food in a rapid fashion. Compare whip.
Beat the eggs and whip the cream.
Stroke
(figuratively)
Beat
To persuade the seller to reduce a price.
He wanted $50 for it, but I managed to beat him down to $35.
Stroke
A gesture of assurance given as encouragement; specifically (psychoanalysis) in transactional analysis: a (generally positive) reaction expressed to a person which fulfils their desires or needs.
Beat
(transitive) To indicate by beating or drumming.
To beat a retreat; to beat to quarters
Stroke
A flattering or friendly act, comment, etc., done or made to a person to influence them.
Beat
To tread, as a path.
Stroke
(transitive)
Beat
To exercise severely; to perplex; to trouble.
Stroke
To draw the horizontal line across the upright part (of the letter t).
Beat
To be in agitation or doubt.
Stroke
Followed by out or through: to draw a line or lines through (text) to indicate that it is deleted; to cancel, to strike or strike out.
Beat
To make a sound when struck.
The drums beat.
Stroke
Of a bell or clock: to chime or sound to indicate (the hour, the time, etc.).
Beat
To make a succession of strokes on a drum.
The drummers beat to call soldiers to their quarters.
Stroke
(rare) To mark (something) with lines or stripes; to stripe.
Beat
To sound with more or less rapid alternations of greater and lesser intensity, so as to produce a pulsating effect; said of instruments, tones, or vibrations not perfectly in unison.
Stroke
(ball games) To hit or kick (the ball) with a flowing or smooth motion; also, to score (a goal, a point, etc.) by doing so.
Beat
(transitive) To arrive at a place before someone.
He beat me there.
The place is empty, we beat the crowd of people who come at lunch.
Stroke
(rowing)
Beat
To rob.
He beat me out of 12 bucks last night.
Stroke
(swimming) To strike (the water) with one's arms and legs when swimming.
Beat
Inflection of [[:en:#Etymology_1
Stroke
(obsolete) To depict (something) with a paintbrush.
Beat
Inflection of [[:en:#Etymology_1
Stroke
(intransitive)
Beat
Exhausted.
After the long day, she was feeling completely beat.
Stroke
(medicine) Chiefly followed by out: to suffer loss of brain function when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted; to have a stroke (noun sense 4).
Beat
Dilapidated, beat up.
Dude, you drive a beat car like that and you ain’t gonna get no honeys.
Stroke
(swimming) To swim by making co-ordinated movements with the arms and legs.
Beat
Having impressively attractive makeup.
Her face was beat for the gods!
Stroke
To move one's hand or an object (such as a broom or brush) along (a surface) in one direction, touching it lightly; to caress.
Beat
(slang) Boring.
Stroke
To bring (something) to a certain condition by stroking (sense 1).
Beat
Ugly.
Stroke
(figuratively)
Beat
Relating to the Beat Generation.
Beat poetry
Stroke
To give assurance to (someone) through encouragement.
Beat
To strike repeatedly; to lay repeated blows upon; as, to beat one's breast; to beat iron so as to shape it; to beat grain, in order to force out the seeds; to beat eggs and sugar; to beat a drum.
Thou shalt beat some of it [spices] very small.
They did beat the gold into thin plates.
Stroke
To influence (someone) by convincing or flattering them.
Beat
To punish by blows; to thrash.
Stroke
(agriculture) To milk (a cow or other animal); especially, to squeeze the teat of (a cow, etc.) to extract the last bit of milk from the udder; to strap dialectal, to strip.
Beat
To scour or range over in hunting, accompanied with the noise made by striking bushes, etc., for the purpose of rousing game.
To beat the woods, and rouse the bounding prey.
Stroke
(masonry) To give a finely fluted surface to (stone) by carving it with a tool.
Beat
To dash against, or strike, as with water or wind.
A frozen continent . . . beat with perpetual storms.
Stroke
(obsolete)
Beat
To tread, as a path.
Pass awful gulfs, and beat my painful way.
Stroke
To sharpen (a knife or other cutting instrument) by honing or rubbing it against a surface.
Beat
To overcome in a battle, contest, strife, race, game, etc.; to vanquish, defeat, or conquer; to surpass or be superior to.
He beat them in a bloody battle.
For loveliness, it would be hard to beat that.
Stroke
(figuratively) To soothe (someone); also, to flatter or indulge (someone).
Beat
To cheat; to chouse; to swindle; to defraud; - often with out.
Stroke
Struck.
Beat
To exercise severely; to perplex; to trouble.
Why should any one . . . beat his head about the Latin grammar who does not intend to be a critic?
Stroke
The act of striking; a blow; a hit; a knock; esp., a violent or hostile attack made with the arm or hand, or with an instrument or weapon.
His hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree.
A fool's lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes.
He entered and won the whole kingdom of Naples without striking a stroke.
Beat
To give the signal for, by beat of drum; to sound by beat of drum; as, to beat an alarm, a charge, a parley, a retreat; to beat the general, the reveille, the tattoo. See Alarm, Charge, Parley, etc.
Stroke
The result of effect of a striking; injury or affliction; soreness.
In the day that Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Beat
To baffle or stump; to defy the comprehension of (a person); as, it beats me why he would do that.
Stroke
The striking of the clock to tell the hour.
Well, but what's o'clock?- Upon the stroke of ten. - Well, let is strike.
Beat
To evade, avoid, or escape (blame, taxes, punishment); as, to beat the rap (be acquitted); to beat the sales tax by buying out of state.
Stroke
A gentle, caressing touch or movement upon something; a stroking.
Beat
To strike repeatedly; to inflict repeated blows; to knock vigorously or loudly.
The men of the city . . . beat at the door.
Stroke
A mark or dash in writing or printing; a line; the touch of a pen or pencil; as, an up stroke; a firm stroke.
O, lasting as those colors may they shine,Free as thy stroke, yet faultless as thy line.
Beat
To move with pulsation or throbbing.
A thousand hearts beat happily.
Stroke
Hence, by extension, an addition or amandment to a written composition; a touch; as, to give some finishing strokes to an essay.
Beat
To come or act with violence; to dash or fall with force; to strike anything, as rain, wind, and waves do.
Sees rolling tempests vainly beat below.
They [winds] beat at the crazy casement.
The sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die.
Public envy seemeth to beat chiefly upon ministers.
Stroke
A sudden attack of disease; especially, a fatal attack; a severe disaster; any affliction or calamity, especially a sudden one; as, a stroke of apoplexy; the stroke of death.
At this one stroke the man looked dead in law.
Beat
To be in agitation or doubt.
To still my beating mind.
Stroke
A throb or beat, as of the heart.
Beat
To make progress against the wind, by sailing in a zigzag line or traverse.
Stroke
One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished; as, the stroke of a bird's wing in flying, or an oar in rowing, of a skater, swimmer, etc.
Beat
To make a sound when struck; as, the drums beat.
Stroke
A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished; also, something done or accomplished by such an effort; as, a stroke of genius; a stroke of business; a master stroke of policy.
Beat
To make a succession of strokes on a drum; as, the drummers beat to call soldiers to their quarters.
Stroke
The movement, in either direction, of the piston plunger, piston rod, crosshead, etc., as of a steam engine or a pump, in which these parts have a reciprocating motion; as, the forward stroke of a piston; also, the entire distance passed through, as by a piston, in such a movement; as, the piston is at half stroke.
Beat
To sound with more or less rapid alternations of greater and less intensity, so as to produce a pulsating effect; - said of instruments, tones, or vibrations, not perfectly in unison.
Stroke
Power; influence.
He has a great stroke with the reader.
Beat
A stroke; a blow.
He, with a careless beat,Struck out the mute creation at a heat.
Stroke
Appetite.
The oars where silver,Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke.
Beat
A recurring stroke; a throb; a pulsation; as, a beat of the heart; the beat of the pulse.
Stroke
To strike.
Ye mote with the plat sword againStroken him in the wound, and it will close.
Beat
The rise or fall of the hand or foot, marking the divisions of time; a division of the measure so marked. In the rhythm of music the beat is the unit.
Stroke
To rib gently in one direction; especially, to pass the hand gently over by way of expressing kindness or tenderness; to caress; to soothe.
He dried the falling drops, and, yet more kind,He stroked her cheeks.
Beat
A round or course which is frequently gone over; as, a watchman's beat; analogously, for newspaper reporters, the subject or territory that they are assigned to cover; as, the Washington beat.
Stroke
To make smooth by rubbing.
Beat
A place of habitual or frequent resort.
Stroke
To give a finely fluted surface to.
Beat
A cheat or swindler of the lowest grade; - often emphasized by dead; as, a dead beat; also, deadbeat.
Stroke
To row the stroke oar of; as, to stroke a boat.
Beat
One that beats, or surpasses, another or others; as, the beat of him.
Stroke
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand;
It took two strokes to get out of the bunker
A good shot require good balance and tempo
He left me an almost impossible shot
Beat
The act of one that beats a person or thing
It's a beat on the whole country.
Stroke
The maximum movement available to a pivoted or reciprocating piece by a cam
Beat
The act of scouring, or ranging over, a tract of land to rouse or drive out game; also, those so engaged, collectively.
Bears coming out of holes in the rocks at the last moment, when the beat is close to them.
Stroke
A sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain
Beat
A smart tap on the adversary's blade.
Stroke
A light touch
Beat
Weary; tired; fatigued; exhausted.
Quite beat, and very much vexed and disappointed.
Stroke
A light touch with the hands
Beat
A regular route for a sentry or policeman;
In the old days a policeman walked a beat and knew all his people by name
Stroke
The oarsman nearest the stern of the shell who sets the pace for the rest of the crew
Beat
The rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart;
He could feel the beat of her heart
Stroke
A punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information
Beat
The basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music;
The piece has a fast rhythm
The conductor set the beat
Stroke
A mark made by a writing implement (as in cursive writing)
Beat
A single pulsation of an oscillation produced by adding two waves of different frequencies; has a frequency equal to the difference between the two oscillations
Stroke
Any one of the repeated movements of the limbs and body used for locomotion in swimming or rowing
Beat
A member of the beat generation; a nonconformist in dress and behavior
Stroke
A single complete movement
Beat
The sound of stroke or blow;
He heard the beat of a drum
Stroke
Touch lightly and with affection, with brushing motions;
He stroked his long beard
Beat
(prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
Stroke
Strike a ball with a smooth blow
Beat
A regular rate of repetition;
The cox raised the beat
Stroke
Row at a particular rate
Beat
A stroke or blow;
The signal was two beats on the steam pipe
Stroke
Treat gingerly or carefully;
You have to stroke the boss
Beat
The act of beating to windward; sailing as close as possible to the direction from which the wind is blowing
Beat
Come out better in a competition, race, or conflict;
Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship
We beat the competition
Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game
Beat
Give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression;
Thugs beat him up when he walked down the street late at night
The teacher used to beat the students
Beat
Hit repeatedly;
Beat on the door
Beat the table with his shoe
Beat
Move rhythmically;
Her heart was beating fast
Beat
Shape by beating;
Beat swords into ploughshares
Beat
Make a rhythmic sound;
Rain drummed against the windshield
The drums beat all night
Beat
Glare or strike with great intensity;
The sun was beating down on us
Beat
Move with a thrashing motion;
The bird flapped its wings
The eagle beat its wings and soared high into the sky
Beat
Sail with much tacking or with difficulty;
The boat beat in the strong wind
Beat
Stir vigorously;
Beat the egg whites
Beat the cream
Beat
Strike (a part of one's own body) repeatedly, as in great emotion or in accompaniment to music;
Beat one's breast
Beat one's foot rhythmically
Beat
Be superior;
Reading beats watching television
This sure beats work!
Beat
Avoid paying;
Beat the subway fare
Beat
Make a sound like a clock or a timer;
The clocks were ticking
The grandfather clock beat midnight
Beat
Move with a flapping motion;
The bird's wings were flapping
Beat
Indicate by beating, as with the fingers or drumsticks;
Beat the rhythm
Beat
Move with or as if with a regular alternating motion;
The city pulsated with music and excitement
Beat
Make by pounding or trampling;
Beat a path through the forest
Beat
Produce a rhythm by striking repeatedly;
Beat the drum
Beat
Strike (water or bushes) repeatedly to rouse animals for hunting
Beat
Beat through cleverness and wit;
I beat the traffic
She outfoxed her competitors
Beat
Be a mystery or bewildering to;
This beats me!
Got me--I don't know the answer!
A vexing problem
This question really stuck me
Beat
Wear out completely;
This kind of work exhausts me
I'm beat
He was all washed up after the exam
Beat
Very tired;
Was all in at the end of the day
So beat I could flop down and go to sleep anywhere
Bushed after all that exercise
I'm dead after that long trip
Common Curiosities
How serious is a stroke as a medical condition?
A stroke is very serious and can result in permanent neurological damage or death if not treated promptly.
What does it mean when a heart "beats"?
When a heart "beats," it means it contracts and pumps blood, a critical function for life.
What does "beat" imply in a competitive sense?
In competition, "beat" implies winning over someone or achieving a better performance.
How can one minimize the risk of a stroke?
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and avoiding smoking can reduce stroke risk.
What is a beat in literature?
In literature, particularly in poetry and drama, a beat can refer to the stresses that contribute to the poem's meter.
Can "beat" ever be used in a gentle way?
Typically, "beat" implies force or rhythm, not gentleness. However, it can be used playfully or affectionately in some contexts.
Can "stroke" refer to anything besides a medical emergency?
Yes, "stroke" can refer to a type of movement in swimming or a way to use an instrument like a brush or pen.
Is one stroke enough to make music?
Usually, multiple strokes are required to establish rhythm and melody in music.
What should you do if someone is having a stroke?
If someone is having a stroke, call emergency services immediately. Quick response can significantly improve recovery outcomes.
How do "beat" and "stroke" differ in their connection to rhythm?
"Beat" directly relates to rhythm as a recurring sound or movement, while "stroke" relates to a single movement, which may or may not be rhythmic.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
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Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
