beset
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
- besetment noun
- besetter noun
- prebeset verb (used with object)prebeset, prebesetting
- unbeset adjective
Etymology
Origin of beset
First recorded before 1000; from Middle English besetten, Old English besettan. See be-, set
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.
The lawsuits against Theta Labs are the latest controversy to rattle an industry beset by scandals.
From Los Angeles Times
“Action from policy makers has been nonexistent, timid or ineffectual. In tandem, corporate Canada has become beset by contentment and incumbency.”
The £6.3bn programme has been beset by problems and repeated delays, as noise and vibration have injured soldiers who have tested the vehicles.
From BBC
Igad has been criticised by many for failing to bring stability and regional integration to the Horn of Africa, a region beset by civil wars, terrorism and intra-state confrontations.
From BBC
China’s exports, rising 5.4% in the first 11 months of the year compared with the same period a year earlier, have proven to be a bright spot in an economy that is beset by challenges.
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.
