Translation guide
How to express the act of killing someone by beating them, or the figurative sense of overusing something until it is ruined or exhausted.
To cause death by repeated physical blows.
The most direct and common way to say 'beat to death'. Combines 殴る (to punch/hit) and 殺す (to kill).
He beat the victim to death.
A more formal or written term, often used in news reports. Implies beating to death, possibly with an object.
The suspect stated that he beat the victim to death.
Literally 'strike to death'. Less common than 殴り殺す, but can be used in similar contexts.
He beat the man to death with a stick.
To use something so much that it becomes worn out, boring, or ineffective.
Means to wear out by using, or to overuse an idea/joke until it becomes stale.
That joke has been beaten to death.
To harp on or repeat something excessively, similar to 'beating a dead horse'.
He beats that story to death.
To persistently repeat, often to the point of annoyance.
To talk about a topic so much that it loses interest or becomes annoying.
To discuss something thoroughly until there is nothing left to say, often implying it's been overdone.
That issue has been beaten to death.
To get tired of talking about something; implies the topic has been exhausted.
I'm tired of that topic; it's been beaten to death.
Be careful to distinguish between the literal act of killing and the figurative sense of overuse. Using 殴り殺す for a joke would be extremely inappropriate.
殴り殺す is the general term for beating to death. 撲殺する is more formal and often used in legal or news contexts, sometimes implying the use of a weapon.
He beat the same argument to death.