besiege

[ bih-seej ]

verb (used with object)

besieged, besieging.

1. to lay siege to.
2. to crowd around; crowd in upon; surround:

   Vacationers besieged the travel office.

3. to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.

   Synonyms: hound, harry, harass, pester, beset

besiege

/ bɪˈsiːdʒ /

verb

1. to surround (a fortified area, esp a city) with military forces to bring about its surrender
2. to crowd round; hem in
3. to overwhelm, as with requests or queries

Derived Forms

• beˈsieger, noun

Other Word Forms

• be·siege·ment noun
• be·sieg·er noun
• be·sieg·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of besiege¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bysegen; be-, siege

Example Sentences

"I got 12,000 fan letters a week. And I felt somewhat besieged."

From BBC

One scene that stuck with me: As Union troops besiege Atlanta, shells are exploding, people flee in panic.

From Salon

Before “One Jewish Boy,” a play by Stephen Laughton, even had its premiere in London in 2018, the playwright and the play were besieged by antisemitic trolling and threats.

From Los Angeles Times

He says that near the besieged city of Pokrovsk, they were facing Russian storm attacks every single day.

From BBC

Trump shared a controversial AI-generated video of Gaza, appearing to depict the besieged enclave as a Mediterranean resort run and operated by the US president.

From BBC

Related Words

• beleaguer
• beset
• blockade
• encircle
• hem in
• trap