2. Characterizing the nature of a beast; contrary to the nature and dignity of man; brutal; filthy. The beastly vice of drinking to excess. Swift.
3. Abominable; as, beastly weather. [Colloq. Eng.]
Syn.
— Bestial; brutish; irrational; sensual; degrading.
BEAT
Beat, v. t. [imp. Beat; p. p. Beat, Beaten (; p. pr. & vb. n.
Beating.] Etym: [OE. beaten, beten, AS. beátan; akin to Icel. bauta,
OHG. b. Cf. 1st Butt, Button.]
1. 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. Ex. xxx. 36. They did beat the gold into thin plates. Ex. xxxix. 3.
2. To punish by blows; to thrash.
3. 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. Prior.
4. To dash against, or strike, as with water or wind. A frozen continent . . . beat with perpetual storms. Milton.
5. To tread, as a path. Pass awful gulfs, and beat my painful way. Blackmore.
6. To overcome in a battle, contest, strife, race, game, etc.; to vanquish or conquer; to surpass. He beat them in a bloody battle. Prescott. For loveliness, it would be hard to beat that. M. Arnold.