Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To surround with hostile forces.
- v. To crowd around; hem in.
- v. To harass or importune, as with requests: Reporters besieged the winner for interviews.
- v. To cause to feel distressed or worried: She was besieged by problems.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To lay siege to; beleaguer; beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, either by famine or by violent attacks: as, to besiege a castle or city.
- To beset; throng around; harass.
- Synonyms To beset, hem in, invest, blockade.
Wiktionary
- v. transitive To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
- v. transitive, figuratively To beleaguer, lay siege to, beset.
- v. to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To beset or surround with armed forces, for the purpose of compelling to surrender; to lay siege to; to beleaguer; to beset.
WordNet 3.0
- v. harass, as with questions or requests
- v. surround so as to force to give up
- v. cause to feel distressed or worried
Etymologies
- Middle English besegen, probably alteration of assegen, from Old French assegier, from Vulgar Latin *assedicāre : Latin ad-, ad- + Vulgar Latin *sedicāre, to sit; see siege. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“BENNETT: Yes, there is, because the word besiege reentered our vocabulary before the weekend.”
“Inward sorrows, gnawing thoughts that "besiege" men, doubts, remorse, gloomy landscapes, all afford them abundant inspiration.”
A Literary History of the English People From the Origins to the Renaissance
“American bishop urges Catholics to 'besiege' New York Times”
“Well, then the rest of us will 'besiege' the RCC and start demanding they be held accountable for these crimes.”
“Columnist Ahmed Gamal Badawi wrote in the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd that the government policy to "besiege" Islamists with "obscenity" would backfire and only add”
“besiege" Israel though boycotts, raising the price of its oppression.”
“Syria's "reformer" responded in character, allowing pro-Assad demonstrators to besiege the U.S. and French embassies.”
“He said Israel "continues to besiege the holy city with a ring of settlements and an annexation wall imposed" to separate the city from the rest of Palestinian territory.”
USA Today: Quartet moves to shelve Palestinian statehood request
“The soldiers also allowed protesters to besiege the TV and radio building in downtown Cairo.”
“You will either welcome me into your city or I will besiege it!”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘besiege’.
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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Gene Wolfe
Please contribute your favorite words from any of Gene Wolfe’s books to this prize-winning list.
In case you come across words in this list which are too commonplace to fit in, please ...gallipot, roost, badelaire, oblesque, execration, dhole, amschaspand, arctother, chalcedony, penitence, asimi, autarch and 839 more...
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GRE 2014
abate, abdicate, abase, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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(1st_wk_150)-Dec_5_2012
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 297 more...
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Words that can be spelled on an upsid...
Imagine my joy when I was wearing my calculator watch and was first introduced to someone named Leslie - there was exactly enough room on the display for 317537.14.
Edit: I've discove...hi, hello, leslie, sheesh, she, bells, hells, hog, boss, goggles, he, bob and 233 more...
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utopia
Words used in the book utopia by sir thomas more
credence, proverb, provost, dissimulation, espy, neologism, vouchsafe, liberality, weal, inquisitive, assentation, verily and 21 more...
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Rexicon
brazen, insipid, cuss, penchant, salacious, titillate, lurid, schlemiel, interlope, masquerade, supercilious, action-taking and 51 more...
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man gre
abase, abeyance, abreast, abscission, abscond, abyss, accede, accretion, acerbic, acidulous, acumen, adulterate and 483 more...
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Morte d'Arthur.03
besiege, reverence, arrayed, aught, behoves, unscathed, defy, loth, upbraided, prevail, encamped, garrison and 5 more...
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GRE 1100
drudgery, implore, hapless, nuance, wrest, incipient, inadvertent, tremulous, bristle, euphemism, disdain, pugnacious and 346 more...
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EN - trendy lifestyle words
private, tenacious, vogue, hoard, landscape, extravaganza, besiege, eatery, wrest, refurbish, enticing, breakout and 24 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1901 more...
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1100 words you need to know
GRE words
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 288 more...
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Belistful
Tubey or not tubey.
belittle, bedazzle, besiege, besmirch, bespeckle, beget, bemoan, befuddle, befriend, become, besot, becloud and 596 more...
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List Erine
cool mint antiseptic
shalom, cattywampus, bourgeoisie, aerophile, traverse, grotto, epicurean, ex cathedra, nautilus, epitaph, lathe, continuum and 753 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for besiege.
chained_bear To surround a castle in order to cut off its supplies and make the occupants surrender. Aug 24, 2008