beset
Americanverb (used with object)
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besets,
present (3rd person singular)
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beset,
past participle, past
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besetting
present participle
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to attack on all sides; assail.
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to trouble greatly or grievously; to afflict with mental or physical suffering; harass: Even as he was being beset with disasters, he triumphed.
The best ideas are often beset by bureaucratic hurdles.
Even as he was being beset with disasters, he triumphed.
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to surround; hem in.
The village was beset on all sides by dense forest.
Our work will be beset with dangers.
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to set or place upon; bestud.
The gold bracelet she found was beset with jewels.
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Nautical. to surround (a vessel) by ice, so that control of the helm is lost.
verb
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(esp of dangers, temptations, or difficulties) to trouble or harass constantly
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to surround or attack from all sides
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archaic to cover with, esp with jewels
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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besetsimple
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besetssimple
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have besetperfect
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has besetperfect
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am besettingprogressive
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are besettingprogressive
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is besettingprogressive
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have been besettingperfect progressive
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has been besettingperfect progressive
Past
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besetsimple
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had besetperfect
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was besettingprogressive
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were besettingprogressive
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had been besettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of beset
First recorded before 1000; from Middle English besetten, Old English besettan. See be-, set
Explanation
Beset means to attack from all sides — an invading army will beset a castle, or you might find yourself beset by a devastating storm. Beset also has a very different meaning: to decorate or encrust with jewels or other ornamentation. If you are attending a ball, you may choose a gown that is beset with silver sequins, just be careful that you don't end up looking like a giant disco ball.
Vocabulary lists containing beset
Beowulf
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"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
Rockstar Games has spent eight years developing the sixth edition, a process beset by difficulties including the leak of development footage and code for the game online in 2022.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Responding, Lam set out how the reorganisation had been beset by delays over the past two-and-a-half years.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
But his lone term in office was beset by turmoil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Modern Britain is beset by planning delays, project overruns and ballooning infrastructure budgets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
We are still beset by plain diseases, and we do not control them; they are loose on their own, afflicting us unpredictably and haphazardly.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Researchers have now gained new insights into how that water pollution is creating air pollution that besets nearby communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2025
The accounts of ramming must also be seen through the panic that naturally besets humans when they encounter such enormous animals.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 28, 2023
Mr Vance credits that stability with his success in lifting himself out of the poverty that besets the Appalachians.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2021
While armed conflict besets much of the country, Beileh’s ministry and al-Shabab now compete over the most basic function of governance: to collect revenue and provide services.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 30, 2019
But no sooner has Garcilasso rebuked the Spaniards and their method, than he hastens to illustrate by his own example another difficulty that besets us in our search for evidence of myths.
From Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2) by Andrew Lang
Crumbling masonry, ageing electrics, frequent leaks and high asbestos levels are some of the problems besetting the Palace of Westminster, parts of which are over 900 years old.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
The report also addresses another fear besetting the market of late which is the funding concerns surrounding neoclouds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Unfortunately, sloppy handling of details is one of two chief weaknesses besetting “The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
In a sign of the troubles besetting the industry, one large almond-growing conglomerate has declared bankruptcy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
However, the difficulties besetting our task are so great that we cannot hope for more than tentative and incomplete answers.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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