bad to beat
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Difficult to beat; sure to succeed.
Register: archaic, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
But, you see, they know nothing of discipline. If they'd only form reg'lar, and stand firm in a square, they'd be bad to beat, as them dogs of robbers would find.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “bad to beat” mean?
Difficult to beat; sure to succeed.
Is “bad to beat” formal or informal?
bad to beat is generally archaic, slang.