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besiege

[ bih-seej ]
/ bɪˈsidʒ /
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See synonyms for: besiege / besieging / besiegement on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), be·sieged, be·sieg·ing.
to lay siege to.
to crowd around; crowd in upon; surround: Vacationers besieged the travel office.
to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.
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Origin of besiege

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bysegen; see be-, siege

OTHER WORDS FROM besiege

be·siege·ment, nounbe·sieg·er, nounbe·sieg·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to besiege

beleaguer, beset, blockade, encircle, hem in, trap, harass, hound, pester, plague, assail, attack, confine, congregate, encompass, environ, invest, badger, bug, buttonhole

How to use besiege in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for besiege

besiege
/ (bɪˈsiːdʒ) /
verb (tr)
to surround (a fortified area, esp a city) with military forces to bring about its surrender
to crowd round; hem in
to overwhelm, as with requests or queries

Derived forms of besiege

besieger, noun
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
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