"beat off" is sexual slang. In short, it refers to to masturbate by stimulating one's own penis. Among teens it is usually used jokingly, as crude banter, or in TikTok-style algospeak rather than as a serious statement of behaviour. Persistent or aggressive use directed at a specific person, especially online, is the bit worth paying attention to: that can shade into harassment. If you hear it once in a chat with friends, it is probably nothing. Repeated targeted use deserves a conversation about respect.
beat off
(intransitive, idiomatic, vulgar, colloquial, chiefly, US, Canada) To masturbate by stimulating one's own penis.
ˈbit ˈɔfDocumented since 1970s1970sGen XhistoricalCurrent230 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1970 · 1 year of recorded useBoomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →
Definitions
USAvoid at work
#1·Apr 26, 2026US
(intransitive, idiomatic, vulgar, colloquial, chiefly, US, Canada) To masturbate by stimulating one's own penis.
For parents
"beat off" is sexual slang. In short, it refers to to masturbate by stimulating one's own penis. Among teens it is usually used jokingly, as crude banter, or in TikTok-style algospeak rather than as a serious statement of behaviour. Persistent or aggressive use directed at a specific person, especially online, is the bit worth paying attention to: that can shade into harassment. If you hear it once in a chat with friends, it is probably nothing. Repeated targeted use deserves a conversation about respect.
For ESL learners
"beat off" is highly informal and vulgar English meaning to masturbate by stimulating one's own penis. It is mainly used in North American English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "to masturbate by stimulating one's own penis" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake for non-native speakers is to use "beat off" thinking it is neutral; in fact it is rude and can offend, so avoid it in writing or in any professional setting. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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USAvoid at work
#2·Apr 26, 2026US
(intransitive, idiom, vulgar, colloquial) To waste time.
(Betty) Did you have any trouble rescuing me?(Archie) I sure did, Betty! I had to beat off three other guys!
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US
#3·Apr 26, 2026US
(transitive, now, often, figurative) To drive something away with blows or military force.
...which Action did not so much grieve the English, as trouble and vex the Picts and Scots, who were incessantly gauled and frequently beat off by these Danish Troops.
Heard in the wild
“I hate being into vore sometimes because apparently some of you niggas beat off to CHILDREN dying.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
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Other words near "beat off" (B)
beat downbeatdownbeatemestbeatingestbeat into fitsbeat itbeat oneselfbeat one's facebeat one's meatbeat outBeatricebeat someone's ass
Browse all slang words starting with B.