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Synonyms

beleaguered

American  
[bih-lee-gerd] / bɪˈli gərd /

adjective

  1. surrounded by military forces; besieged.

    The beleaguered city of Limerick, having stood to the last, finally capitulated to the forces of William of Orange.

  2. 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

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

Etymology

Origin of beleaguered

beleaguer ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )


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.

See Examples For:

Michael Carrick accepts it might sound "crazy" but the beleaguered Manchester United boss says he is looking forward to the Champions League showdown with Roma at Old Trafford.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Oracle’s beleaguered stock finished the week higher after executives indicated a lighter borrowing load for AI going forward.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

He has less ire than you might expect for certain exposé-ready targets, such as the earnest, beleaguered county sheriff, Summer Scheyer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

JetBlue shares rallied on Tuesday after the beleaguered airline sought to allay worries about its business, saying it’s on the cusp of being profitable again — something it hasn’t managed to accomplish since 2019.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

Out from the beleaguered hills knights of Gondor, Riders of Rohan, Dúnedain of the North, close-serried companies, drove against their wavering foes, piercing the press with the thrust of bitter spears.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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