beleaguer

[ bih-lee-ger ]

/ bɪˈli gər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: beleaguer / beleaguered on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to surround with military forces.

to surround or beset, as with troubles.

OTHER WORDS FOR beleaguer

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

See synonyms for beleaguer on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of beleaguer

First recorded in 1580–90; be- + leaguer¹

OTHER WORDS FROM beleaguer

be·lea·guer·er, noun

Words nearby beleaguer

belaying pin, bel canto, belch, beld, beldam, beleaguer, beleaguered, belection, Belém, belemnite, belemnoid

How to use beleaguer in a sentence

It comes obviously from a sense of people’s own histories of being beleaguered and having their dignity removed.
Andrew Sullivan doesn’t care what you think|Chris Johnson|September 22, 2021|Washington Blade
A lack of chips, computer not tortilla, is wreaking havoc on the already beleaguered restaurant and bar industry, the latest victim of a pandemic-induced worldwide shortage that has disrupted the manufacturing of smartphones, cars and more.
No chips, no tips: How the computer chip shortage threatens thousands of restaurant service jobs|Laura Reiley|June 11, 2021|Washington Post
IRS staffingTaxpayers will face more frustration because the IRS workforce is beleaguered.
Tax season 2021: A tornado is coming|Michelle Singletary|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
And yet I cannot think that any Scottish or French rovers could land in such force as to beleaguer the fortalice.
The White Company|Arthur Conan Doyle

Somehow that seemed to make her matter less, and Dodo had not at present made any determined effort to beleaguer her.
Dodo's Daughter|E. F. Benson
For Edward took his army to beleaguer Calais, and after blockading it for nearly a year forced it to surrender.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 5|Various
The bold beleaguer'd post the hero gains, And the hard siege with various fate sustains.
The Columbiad|Joel Barlow
In his tragedy of Ezelino, after the tyrant's downfall, a captain is sent to beleaguer Treviso, and reduce Ezelino's garrison.
The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the first|Count Carlo Gozzi

British Dictionary definitions for beleaguer

beleaguer

/ (bɪˈliːɡə) /

verb (tr)

to trouble persistently; harass

to lay siege to

Word Origin for beleaguer

C16: from be- + leaguer 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

beleaguer

OTHER WORDS FOR beleaguer

Origin of beleaguer

OTHER WORDS FROM beleaguer

Words nearby beleaguer

Words related to beleaguer

How to use beleaguer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beleaguer

Word Origin for beleaguer