Beaten

Beaten is the past participle of the verb beat and functions in both verbal and adjectival roles in English. As a verb, beat can mean to strike with force, to defeat in a competition, or to mix or stir vigorously. The form beaten appears in perfect tenses (has beaten, had beaten) and in passive constructions (was beaten, were beaten).

As an adjective, beaten commonly describes someone who has been defeated in a contest or someone who has been physically assaulted (beaten up). It can also describe objects that have been shaped or prepared by pounding, such as beaten metal or beaten copper, as well as foods that have been whisked or vigorously stirred, like beaten eggs. In a figurative sense, beaten can describe being worn out or exhausted after effort or hardship (beaten, tired).

Common idioms include the beaten track, referring to a conventional or frequently traveled route, and off the beaten track, describing less-visited places. The phrase to beat someone means to surpass them in a competition or combat, while to beat a retreat means to withdraw in an orderly manner.

Etymology traces beaten to the Old English verb beatan, with cognates in other Germanic languages, evolving into the modern forms beat and beaten used across multiple senses in contemporary English.

See also: beat, beating, beaten metal, beaten eggs, beaten track, off the beaten track.