siege mentality
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of siege mentality
First recorded in 1965–70
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 siege mentality of these gated communities exacted an immense human toll on employees, struggling for essentials like water or electricity.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026
He created a siege mentality which served Forest well and, despite both being big characters, it appeared a perfect match between him and Marinakis.
From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025
How much belief has built behind the scenes of England's siege mentality?
From BBC • Oct. 21, 2023
In his news conference, the former Leicester head coach batted back questions about a possible siege mentality and being underdogs against their semi-final opponents.
From BBC • Oct. 15, 2023
Besieged by this siege mentality, the back to the literal wall, desperate and phobic, the Croats developed the paranoia typical of all small nations encircled by hostility and impending doom.
From Terrorists and Freedom Fighters by Vaknin, Samuel
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.
