beleaguered

American  

[bih-lee-gerd] / bɪˈli gərd /

adjective

1. surrounded by military forces; besieged.

   The beleaguered city of Limerick, having stood to the last, finally capitulated to the forces of William of Orange.

2. beset, surrounded, or overburdened by troubles.

   Restoring our beleaguered oceans to health will require an emphasis on diversification and conservation, and more sensible fishing practices.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of beleaguer.

Etymology

Origin of beleaguered

beleaguer ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

CEO Nikesh Arora put his own money on the line to buy up the beleaguered cybersecurity stock as it got weighed down by concerns about a new Anthropic AI model.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Germany's beleaguered state railway operator Deutsche Bahn said Friday its losses widened last year and warned passengers to brace for less-than-perfect service for years to come.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Alex was a beautiful and beleaguered soul, born worried, born romantic, difficult and hopeful and apparently a shockingly good poker player.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The president, played by a breathy, beleaguered Idris Elba and known only by his call sign, “Icon,” is of indeterminate party and ideology.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

The previous year, he had assumed command of construction of the Pentagon, then beleaguered by labor problems, material shortages, cost overruns, and miserable work conditions.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• ringed