Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
to beat or knock the living daylights out of someone
idiom
/tə biːt ɔr nɑk ðə ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈdeɪˌlaɪts aʊt ʌv ˈsʌmˌwʌn/
Definition
To defeat someone thoroughly or to physically harm someone severely.
Examples
- If I ever see him again, I’m going to beat the living daylights out of him for what he did.
- The team was so motivated that they knocked the living daylights out of their opponents in the championship.
- After the argument, he felt like he could knock the living daylights out of anyone who tried to provoke him.
Meaning
This phrase is often used informally to express intent to overpower, defeat, or punish someone, either in a physical confrontation or in a competitive sense.
Synonyms
- pummel
- thrash
- defeat soundly
- give a beating
- make mincemeat of
