Beleaguer

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /bɪˈliːɡər/

Definitions of beleaguer

verb to besiege or surround with military forces; to harass or trouble persistently

Example Sentences

A1 The small village was beleaguered by a pack of wolves.

A2 The team was beleaguered by injuries throughout the season.

B1 The company was beleaguered by financial difficulties, but they managed to overcome them.

B2 The politician was beleaguered by scandal after scandal, but still managed to win the election.

C1 The besieged city was beleaguered by enemy forces for months before finally surrendering.

C2 The beleaguered CEO faced mounting pressure from shareholders to step down amidst the company's financial crisis.

Examples of beleaguer in a Sentence

formal The small town was beleaguered by a series of economic crises.

informal My friend feels beleaguered by all the work she has to do for school.

slang I'm so beleaguered with all these assignments piling up.

figurative Her mind was beleaguered by doubts and fears, making it hard to focus.

Grammatical Forms of beleaguer

past tense

beleaguered

plural

beleaguers

comparative

more beleaguered

superlative

most beleaguered

present tense

beleaguers

future tense

will beleaguer

perfect tense

have beleaguered

continuous tense

is beleaguering

singular

beleaguer

positive degree

beleaguer

infinitive

to beleaguer

gerund

beleaguering

participle

beleaguering

Origin and Evolution of beleaguer

First Known Use: 1589 year
Language of Origin: Dutch
Story behind the word: The word 'beleaguer' originated from the Dutch word 'belegeren' which means 'to besiege'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'beleaguer' has evolved to also mean to harass or trouble someone persistently, in addition to its original meaning of besieging.