besieged

[ bih-seejd ]

adjective

1. (of a fortified place) under siege; surrounded by enemy forces and cut off from help or supplies:

   The security forces downplayed the situation, claiming that local authorities were still in full control of the besieged city.

2. surrounded by crowds:

   He was charged with inciting to "mass disturbance" the more than 1,000 people who congregated close to the besieged police station.

3. assailed or inundated with requests or demands:

   Apart from the hero, every man in this movie is a rustic bigot, and every woman a besieged housewife.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of besiege.

Other Words From

• un·be·sieged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of besieged¹

First recorded in 1425–75; besiege ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; besiege ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

There was Carol White, a ho-hum homemaker who finds herself besieged by multiple chemical sensitivity in Safe.

From The Daily Beast

The people in charge of the convoys distributed the hejab to the besieged women along with the cartons of food.

From The Daily Beast

I remember the days of the Bosnian war (1992—1995), when Saudi Arabia sent convoys of aid to those besieged in Sarajevo.

From The Daily Beast

And late Friday night there were more strikes on outlying areas of the besieged city now mostly empty of civilians.

From The Daily Beast

During the ensuing years, Mandelbaum was besieged by a series of illnesses.

From The Daily Beast

When a besieged city suspects a mine, do not the inhabitants dig underground, and meet their enemy at his work?

From Project Gutenberg

As the siege progressed besiegers and besieged actually came to know each other by sight.

From Project Gutenberg

A vigorous attack was met by a spirited defence, the besieged frequently sallying and fighting at the outworks.

From Project Gutenberg

Prince of Conde, at the head of 2000 cavalry, threw himself into Cambray, then besieged by marshal Turenne.

From Project Gutenberg

Our dragoman kept at bay all the clamouring crowd of porters, guides and nondescripts of all colours and races that besieged us.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• assailed
• attacked
• beleaguered
• blockaded
• surrounded