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:
But his lone term in office was beset by turmoil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Proposals to build a new dual carriageway between Londonderry and Aughnacloy in County Tyrone go back almost 20 years but have been beset by funding and legal issues.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Most importantly, the 29-year-old Alvarez played in a career-high 158 games, saving an Astros team that was beset by injuries all season long.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
But mindfulness can become tougher as you age, when you’re beset by physical and mental distractions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
She is especially beset by Leah’s and my status as exceptional children.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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
First, it emphasizes that even the MCU isn't free from the class conflict that besets the real world.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2019
The act of besetting, or the state of being beset; also, that which besets one, as a sin.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster
The report also addresses another fear besetting the market of late which is the funding concerns surrounding neoclouds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The mood among German consumers continues to darken as the pressures besetting Europe’s largest economy take their toll on sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2025
The findings suggest kids have been caught in the crossfire of simultaneous immigration and housing crises besetting the city.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
He also followed up on prior deals to provide arms and training to regional powers while adroitly sidestepping the deadly frictions currently besetting the Middle East.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
My terror, as I lay there, of falling ill, and being unfitted for to-morrow, was so besetting, that I wonder it did not disable me of itself.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
