Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

beat one's breast

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.02 in modern English

Syllables
beat- one's breast
IPA
18
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To ostentatiously display remorse, sorrow, or upset.

Etymology

For the meaning development compare Proto-Slavic *plakati ultimately from *pleh₂k-, *pleh₂g- (“to beat”) (whence also Latin plangō (whence plangent, plain)).

Inflected Forms

beats one's breast (present, singular) beating one's breast (participle, present) beaten one's breast (participle, past)

Phrases

bare one's breast self-flagellation wear sackcloth and ashes weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth

Frequently Paired Words

bare one's breast self-flagellation wear sackcloth and ashes weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth

Synonyms

beat one's chest

Questions

What does beat one's breast mean?
To ostentatiously display remorse, sorrow, or upset.
Where does beat one's breast come from?
For the meaning development compare Proto-Slavic *plakati ultimately from *pleh₂k-, *pleh₂g- (“to beat”) (whence also Latin plangō (whence plangent, plain)).

How to pronounce beat one's breast

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