embattled
Americanadjective
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disposed or prepared for battle.
-
engaged in or beset by conflict or struggle.
adjective
-
prepared for or engaged in conflict, controversy, or battle
-
heraldry having an indented edge resembling battlements
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of embattled
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see 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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Acme’s success is the latest humiliation for embattled Warner Bros.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
Mr. James captures the actors’ sense of embattled defiance amid a Jamaica he portrays as increasingly unhinged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
China sentenced the founder of embattled property giant Evergrande to life in prison and fined the group more than $2 billion on Thursday for offences including fraud, five years after a high-profile default.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
President Donald Trump has apparently found a new adviser for his embattled White House ballroom: George Washington.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
That was the face which, when she saw it at all, was across his own dining table—the face of a foe who did, not even know that it was embattled.
From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner
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.
