adj
beleaguered
bih-LEE-guhd
adj
1
Surrounded by military forces; besieged.
"The beleaguered garrison held out for weeks before reinforcements arrived."
2
Struggling under constant pressure, criticism, or difficulty.
"The beleaguered manager faced angry customers all afternoon."
How to Use Beleaguered
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUnder siege, or worn down by ongoing trouble and pressure.
Common pairings
a beleaguered city
the beleaguered prime minister
a beleaguered team
Word Forms
more beleaguered comparative, most beleaguered superlative
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Etymology
From beleaguer ("to besiege," from Dutch belegeren, "to lay siege to") plus the adjective-forming suffix -ed.