beleaguer

verb

be·​lea·​guer bi-ˈlē-gər How to pronounce beleaguer (audio)
bē-
beleaguered; beleaguering bi-ˈlē-g(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce beleaguer (audio)
bē-

transitive verb

1
: besiege
a town beleaguered by an army
a beleaguered city
2
: trouble, harass
beleaguered parents
an economically beleaguered city
beleaguerment noun

Did you know?

There's no getting around it: beleaguer is a "troubling" word. It comes from the Dutch verb belegeren, which in turn combines leger, meaning "camp," and the prefix be- (a relative of the English be- meaning "about" or "around"). While the Dutch word, meaning "to camp around," is neutral, its descendent beleaguer implies a whole heap of fuss and bother. Beleaguer was first used in the late 16th century, and is still used today, as a synonym of besiege; indeed, an army beleaguering or besieging a castle may also be said to be "camping around" it, albeit with nefarious rather than recreational purposes. This sense of beleaguer was almost immediately joined, however, by its now more common—and less martial—meaning of "to cause constant or repeated trouble for."

Examples of beleaguer in a Sentence

the lack of funds that beleaguers schools beleaguered the castle for months
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The delay is due to getting external signs installed on all the grocery stores, the latest holdup in a project that has been beleaguered by construction delays. Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025 Despite being one of British fashion’s biggest luxury brands, Burberry has been beleaguered by plunging sales and profits, costing it a place on the UK’s FTSE 100 index (which brings together the 100 most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange) last September. Kati Chitrakorn, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025 That poor number also brought back memories of the company’s significant profit margin issues back in 2022 when it was beleaguered by a slew of inventory problems. Hakyung Kim,sarah Min, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025 The opportunity to host a PGA Tour event which had beleaguered prior title sponsors came knocking. Michael Loré, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beleaguer

Word History

Etymology

Dutch belegeren, from be- (akin to Old English be-) + leger camp; akin to Old High German legar bed — more at lair

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beleaguer was in 1587

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Beleaguer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beleaguer. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

beleaguer

verb
be·​lea·​guer bi-ˈlē-gər How to pronounce beleaguer (audio)
beleaguered; beleaguering -g(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce beleaguer (audio)
1
: to surround with an army so as to prevent escape : besiege sense 1
2
: to subject to troublesome forces : harass
the pests that beleaguer farmers

More from Merriam-Webster on beleaguer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!