bestead

¹ American  

[bih-sted] / bɪˈstɛd /

verb (used with object)

besteaded, besteaded, bestead, besteading

1. to help; assist; serve; avail.

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bestead ² American  

[bih-sted] / bɪˈstɛd /

adjective

1. Archaic. placed or situated, often unfavorably or in difficulty.

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Etymology

Origin of bestead¹

First recorded in 1575–85; be- + stead

Origin of bestead²

1300–50; Middle English bisted, bistad, equivalent to bi be- + sted, variant of stad placed < Old Norse staddr, past participle of stethja to place, derivative of stathr place

Example Sentences

Rather I would in every way beseech your gentleness and favour, for I am now worse bestead than ever, having lost my way, my cloak, and my poor horse.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 8 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

Then let’s be merry in our God and King, That made us merry, being ill bestead.

From A Life of William Shakespeare with portraits and facsimiles by Lee, Sidney, Sir

XX Thus with distress and sorrow was Etzel ill bestead, Right bitterly bewailing his kin and subjects dead.

From The Nibelungenlied Revised Edition by Unknown

But Joseph and Hyrum were harder bestead than ever I have been; and bolder men to boot.

From From Sea to Sea Letters of Travel by Kipling, Rudyard

How little you bestead Or fill the fixéd mind with all your toys!

From The Golden Treasury Selected from the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language and arranged with Notes by Various