beleaguered
Americanadjective
-
surrounded by military forces; besieged.
The beleaguered city of Limerick, having stood to the last, finally capitulated to the forces of William of Orange.
-
beset, surrounded, or overburdened by troubles.
Restoring our beleaguered oceans to health will require an emphasis on diversification and conservation, and more sensible fishing practices.
verb
Etymology
Origin of beleaguered
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A rare joint U.S.-Japan currency intervention has helped lift the beleaguered yen off a 40-year low.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
This heaps yet more pressure on the beleaguered Fifa president Gianni Infantino, and is further evidence that the revolt against him over the FFE saga is being driven by Uefa.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The results pile pressure on the beleaguered group, which has been suffering from slimmer margins from the sales of electric cars, US tariffs and above all intense Chinese competition.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Since then, Trump has repeatedly lauded Rodríguez for her cooperation and has said the U.S. is ready to help the beleaguered oil-rich country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Rowan could feel himself growing numb—and while it might have been a good thing for his beleaguered sanity, it was not a good thing for his soul.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
