embattled

American  

[em-bat-ld] / ɛmˈbæt ld /

adjective

1. disposed or prepared for battle.

2. engaged in or beset by conflict or struggle.

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embattled British  

/ ɪmˈbætəld /

adjective

1. prepared for or engaged in conflict, controversy, or battle

2. heraldry having an indented edge resembling battlements

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Other Word Forms

• unembattled adjective

Etymology

Origin of embattled

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; embattle ¹, -ed ²; embattled def. 2 probably by association with the general sense “restrict, enclose” of many verbs formed with em- ¹, en- ¹

Example Sentences

Bicentennial, which followed “a decade of racial tensions, assassinations, scandal, rising inflation, embattled campuses and eroding public trust,” also privileged heritage over history.

From Salon

Shopkeepers in the capital shut their stores on Monday, after Iran's embattled currency hit new lows on the unofficial market.

From Barron's

Some shopkeepers in Tehran shut their stores for the second day in a row Monday in protest against economic hardships and sharp swings in Iran's embattled currency, media reports said.

From Barron's

World leaders arrived by rail in Kyiv to pledge support for the embattled country.

From The Wall Street Journal

The verdict, delivered in Malaysia's administrative capital Putrajaya, is the second blow in the same week to the embattled former leader, who has been imprisoned since 2022.

From BBC