beat to a pulp

verb

To beat up (a person) more than usually severely.

Similar
pulp
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Meanings

verbbeat to a pulp (third-person singular simple present beats to a pulp, present participle beating to a pulp, simple past beat to a pulp, past participle beaten to a pulp or beat to a pulp)

present singular third person beats to a pulp · participle present beating to a pulp · participle past beaten to a pulp

  1. transitiveTo beat up (a person) more than usually severely.

    Neanderthals were extremely tough—this is attested to by the thickness of their bones—and were probably capable of beating modern humans to a pulp.

    2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Picador, →ISBN, page 251

    Synonyms: pulp

  2. broadlycolloquialtransitiveTo defeat severely in various, even non-contact, competitive sports.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo beat up (a person) more than usually severely.

Similar
pulp
Also see
beat hollowpunch someone's lights out

Translations

Dutch tot moes slaan, kapotslaan
  • tot moes slaanbeat up
  • kapotslaanbeat up
Finnish piestä, hakata tohjoksi
  • piestäbeat up
  • hakata tohjoksibeat up
  • tuhotadefeat severely
  • piestädefeat severely
French passer à tabac, tabasser
  • passer à tabacbeat up
  • tabasserbeat up
  • casser la gueulebeat up
  • battre à plate couturedefeat severely
  • mettre la pâtéedefeat severely
Hindi कचूमर निकालना
  • कचूमर निकालना (kacūmar nikālnā)beat up
Polish stłuc na kwaśne jabłko, miażdżyć
  • stłuc na kwaśne jabłkobeat up
  • miażdżyćdefeat severely
  • zmiażdżyćdefeat severely
  • zgniataćdefeat severely
  • zgnieśćdefeat severely
  • roznosićdefeat severely
  • roznieśćdefeat severely
Portuguese cagar no pau
  • cagar no paubeat up
Russian избива́ть до полусме́рти, изби́ть до полусме́рти
  • избива́ть до полусме́рти (izbivátʹ do polusmérti)beat up
  • изби́ть до полусме́рти (izbítʹ do polusmérti)beat up
Spanish caerle la del pulpo, hacer fosfatina
  • caerle la del pulpobeat up
  • hacer fosfatinadefeat severely
  • hacer papilladefeat severely
  • hacer purédefeat severely
Cite this entry
APA

beat to a pulp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20to%20a%20pulp

MLA

“beat to a pulp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20to%20a%20pulp. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beat to a pulp,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20to%20a%20pulp.

Source: beat to a pulp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.