beleaguer

American  

[bih-lee-ger] / bɪˈli gər /

verb (used with object)

1. to surround with military forces.

2. to surround or beset, as with troubles.

   Synonyms:

   hector, plague, annoy, vex, vex, bother, badger, pester, harass

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beleaguer British  

/ bɪˈliːɡə /

verb

1. to trouble persistently; harass

2. to lay siege to

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Other Word Forms

• beleaguerer noun

Etymology

Origin of beleaguer

First recorded in 1580–90; be- + leaguer ¹

Example Sentences

Tokyo didn’t deploy its reserves to aid the beleaguered currency at any point from Dec. 29 to Jan. 28, according to data released Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal

It remains to be seen whether the public, and the authorities, feel they've seen more than enough, or whether there are even more questions to be answered by the beleaguered former Duke of York.

From BBC

Ministry of Finance data released Friday showed that Tokyo did not deploy its reserves to aid the beleaguered yen at any point from Dec. 29 to Jan. 28.

From The Wall Street Journal

The German government on Wednesday lowered its 2026 growth forecast to one percent, conceding that efforts to kickstart Europe's beleaguered top economy with vast public spending were moving slower than hoped.

From Barron's

But the fact that the company kept its guidance steady made Jefferies analyst James Heaney more confident in his view that the next earnings report “won’t be enough to lift sentiment” for the beleaguered stock.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• annoy
• bedevil
• beset
• plague