Synonyms

beleaguer

American

[bih-lee-ger] / bɪˈli gər /

verb (used with object)

to surround with military forces.
to surround or beset, as with troubles.

Synonyms:

hector, plague, annoy, vex, vex, bother, badger, pester, harass

beleaguer British

/ bɪˈliːɡə /

verb

to trouble persistently; harass
to lay siege to

"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

Other Word Forms

beleaguerer noun

Etymology

Origin of beleaguer

First recorded in 1580–90; be- + leaguer 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.

South Korean filmmakers generally accept generative AI as an unstoppable trend, if not a silver bullet that could save an industry beleaguered by rising costs.

From BBC

The beleaguered peso has gained 5% against the dollar this year while Milei’s government widened the trading bands and added reserves.

From Barron's

Even beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur, who are hovering above the relegation zone in the Premier League, finished in the top eight of the league phase.

From BBC

History is a useful reminder that a royal scandal is a convenient tool for an unpopular and beleaguered political class, a mistrusted army of newspaper hacks, and a disgruntled public, desperate for a plausible villain.

From The Wall Street Journal

After a break-in, strikes and a ticket fraud scandal, the beleaguered Louvre museum in Paris said Friday it had suffered a water leak in its most-visited wing, the second flood in three months.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023