beat the daylights out of

verb

To beat (someone) severely.

Similar
clobber
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Meanings

verbbeat the daylights out of (third-person singular simple present beats the daylights out of, present participle beating the daylights out of, simple past beat the daylights out of, past participle beaten the daylights out of or beat the daylights out of)

present singular third person beats the daylights out of · participle present beating the daylights out of · participle past beaten the daylights out of · alternative beat the daylight out of

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo beat (someone) severely.

    Punching fast and furiously, I would beat the daylights out of them until they were bloody all over.

    1993, Lester Sumrall, The Life Story of Lester Sumrall, →ISBN

    Synonyms: clobber

  2. idiomatictransitiveTo defeat (someone) thoroughly and decisively, especially in a physical fight.

    The guy beat the daylights out of me, and I made a dollar. My wrestling license cost five dollars.

    2007, Greg Oliver, The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels, →ISBN, page 42

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo beat (someone) severely.

Similar
clobber
Also see
knock the daylight out of
Cite this entry
APA

beat the daylights out of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20the%20daylights%20out%20of

MLA

“beat the daylights out of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20the%20daylights%20out%20of. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beat the daylights out of,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20the%20daylights%20out%20of.

Source: beat the daylights out of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.