beleaguered

/bɪˈliːɡəd/

beleaguered means besieged; surrounded by enemy troops.

beleaguered is pronounced /bɪˈliːɡəd/.

Why “beleaguered” is a great word

Beset with persistent difficulties or subjected to a state of siege. From Dutch *belegeren*, from *be-* (around, about) + *leger* (camp, army), literally meaning 'to camp around'; first attested in English in the 1580s. Unlike “harassed,” which implies scattered, nagging annoyances, or “unbeaten,” which speaks only to the absence of defeat, beleaguered emphasizes the profound, encircling pressure itself. It is the dwindling stockpile in a besieged garrison, the single lamp burning in a darkened office block long after midnight, the quiet dread of drums heard in the distance—a state defined not by its beginning or its end, but by the profound and wearying duration of the siege itself.

adj

Besieged; surrounded by enemy troops.e.g.“a beleaguered stronghold”
Beset by trouble or difficulty.e.g.“a beleaguered ego”

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

beleaguer 95% match — To besiege; to surround with troops. vs beleaguered →
besiege 89% match — To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer. vs beleaguered →
leaguer 87% match — A siege. vs beleaguered →
beseech 83% match — To beg or implore something of (a person). vs beleaguered →
steadfastness 82% match — Loyalty in the face of trouble and difficulty. vs beleaguered →
bewildered 82% match — Baffled, confused, mystified, at a loss, not thinking clearly, or uncertain. vs beleaguered →
beride 82% match — To ride around; beset with horsemen. vs beleaguered →
waylay 82% match — To lie in wait for and attack from ambush. vs beleaguered →