a beating

1. A physical attack involving severe or repeated striking. The captain of the football team swore he'll give me a beating if he catches me talking to his girlfriend again. My younger brother was always a shy, skinny kid who often got a beating from schoolyard bullies. He's taken a beating tonight, and this might be it for the champ. No, wait, he's getting back up!

2. A decisive loss. We sure took a beating tonight—12–1. Their team's inexperience showed on the pitch today, as they took a beating from the powerful squad from New Zealand. After you spend so much time preparing for a match, it's really frustrating to end up getting a beating.

3. A serious setback. Thanks to the recession, our business has taken a real beating. My portfolio sure took a beating when the stock market crashed. My efforts to get my PhD have gotten a beating over the last couple of years, but I'm still determined to see it through.