Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To persuade a seller to lower a price through negotiation or pressure.
   • To dislodge or force something down from a position.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • (Of the sun) To shine with intense, direct, and oppressive heat.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (transitive - negotiating price):

  • I managed to beat down the asking price by two hundred dollars.
  • He is good at beating down car dealers.

• Verb (transitive - dislodging):

  • The strong winds beat down the young corn plants.
  • The firefighter beat down the flames with a blanket.

• Verb (intransitive - sun shining):

  • The sun beat down relentlessly on the desert travelers.
  • With no clouds in the sky, the heat just beat down on us all afternoon.

Advanced Usage

• "to beat someone down": To subdue or demoralize someone through criticism, hardship, or force.
  • The constant rejections began to beat her down emotionally.
  • The oppressive regime sought to beat down any dissent.

Variants and Related Words

• Beat (verb): To strike repeatedly.
• Downtrodden (adjective): Oppressed or treated badly by people in power. (Related conceptually to the "subdue" sense of "beat down").

Synonyms

• Haggle: To negotiate, especially over a price.
• Batter: To hit repeatedly and violently.
• Blaze: To shine brightly or fiercely (for the sun).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Beat out: To extinguish (e.g., flames) by beating.
  • They tried to beat out the grass fire.
• Beat off: To repel or drive back an attack.
  • The defenders beat off the assault.

Related Idioms

• Beat the heat: To find a way to stay cool in hot weather.
  • We went swimming to beat the heat.
• Beat a path to someone's door: To visit someone in great numbers.
  • Customers beat a path to his door when the sale was announced.

Verb

1. dislodge from a position
   • She beat the dealer down to a much better price
2. shine hard
   • The sun beat down on the hikers
3. persuade the seller to accept a lower price
   • She beat the merchant down $100