beset

American

[bih-set] / bɪˈsɛt /

verb (used with object)

beset, besetting

to attack on all sides; assail.
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.
to surround; hem in.

The village was beset on all sides by dense forest.
Our work will be beset with dangers.

Synonyms:

besiege, enclose, encircle, trouble, torment, persecute, bedevil, afflict, harass, assault
to set or place upon; bestud.

The gold bracelet she found was beset with jewels.

Synonyms:

ornament, decorate, stud
Nautical. to surround (a vessel) by ice, so that control of the helm is lost.

beset British

/ bɪˈsɛt /

verb

(esp of dangers, temptations, or difficulties) to trouble or harass constantly
to surround or attack from all sides
archaic to cover with, esp with jewels

"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

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 cost, while small, felt like what one worker described as the “cherry on top” of a demoralizing work culture beset by layoffs and overwhelming workloads.

From The Wall Street Journal

World champion Norris has been beset by reliability problems this weekend, losing much of second practice to a hydraulic failure and half of final practice with another battery failure.

From BBC

The author also reveals the desperate conditions that beset Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, and the two Americans who were driven by their religious faith to serve the same missionary hospital.

From The Wall Street Journal

The world's largest warship has been beset by problems during its deployment in the Middle East, including an earlier breakdown of its toilet system.

From BBC

The renovation was beset by several delays, pushing back the original deadline from last fall.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023