What does battering mean?
A battering is a severe beating or a sustained series of heavy blows, applied both literally and figuratively. In its most concrete sense it describes serious physical violence against a person, as in reports of an assault. More broadly, it covers any relentless pounding by external forces — a coastline taking a battering from winter storms, or a building battered by shelling. Figuratively, the word is widely used for punishing sequences of criticism, defeat, or loss: a government takes a battering in the polls, a company's shares take a battering after poor results. The word almost always appears with verbs of endurance such as 'take', 'suffer', or 'receive', and its connotation is unambiguously negative, implying not a single blow but a prolonged, wearing onslaught. Derived from the Old French 'batre' (to beat), it belongs to the same family as 'battery' and 'combat', making it a vivid and versatile term for describing damage done over time.
nounA severe beating or sustained physical assault; more broadly, a series of heavy, damaging blows. In figurative use, it denotes harsh criticism or repeated setbacks.
- A severe physical beating or sustained assault on a person.
- Heavy, repeated damage inflicted by forces such as storms, waves, or conflict.
- Figurative: a run of harsh criticism, defeats, or losses.
"The old fishing boat took a battering from the storm but somehow stayed afloat."
"Witnesses reported that the victim had suffered a prolonged battering before neighbours intervened."
"After three straight defeats, the team's confidence took a real battering."
The plural is grammatically standard but rarely used; the word usually appears in the singular even when describing repeated events.
"The ship had survived many batterings over her long years at sea."
The same root that gives us 'battery' — as in artillery batteries — also powers 'battering': both trace back to the French 'battre', to beat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of battering
'Battering' derives from the verb 'batter', which entered Middle English from Old French 'batre' (modern French 'battre'), meaning to strike or beat repeatedly. The Old French verb itself descends from Latin 'batuere', 'to beat', the same root that produced 'battery' — originally a term for the act of battering down fortifications, later applied to groups of artillery pieces. Cognates sharing this beating root include 'combat' and 'battle', which passed through Romance languages before reaching English. The noun 'battering' emerged naturally from the verb's long use in English, particularly in military and maritime contexts describing bombardment and storm damage.
Related word forms
How battering is actually used
Often used with verbs like 'take', 'suffer', or 'receive'. In British English especially, 'take a battering' is a common idiom for enduring damage or criticism, whether literal or figurative. The word carries strongly negative connotations and appears frequently in news reporting about weather, sport, and politics.
Easily confused with battering
'Batter' is the verb meaning to strike repeatedly (or to mix into batter for cooking), while 'battering' is the noun denoting the beating itself or its damaging effects.
'Battening' means thriving at another's expense or securing with battens, whereas 'battering' refers to striking or being struck heavily.