besetting 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈse-tiŋ How to pronounce besetting (audio)
Definition of besettingnext
as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge that woman's besetting need to meddle in the affairs of others

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

besetting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of beset
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besetting
  1. obsessive
  2. attacking
  3. impulsive
  4. afflicting
  5. assaulting
  6. striking
  7. robbing
Adjective
  • The modern coach’s quest to remove jeopardy within matches is obsessive and Emery believes opponents can be negated by keeping the ball for long, often slow, periods.
    Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Healthy love is not obsessive, but reliable, balanced and uplifting, and many long for such a dynamic.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Definition of obsessive
Verb
  • But the defenses have steadily become more capable, and in November brought down some 95% of the attacking drones with gunfire, missiles, and, increasingly, electronic warfare jamming.
    David Hambling, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • But attacking players often experience lulls — just ask the three keen observers of this game picked out by the television cameras, all of whom must have nodded in appreciation of Sarr’s menacing performance.
    Matt Woosnam, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of attacking
Adjective
  • Start Glorifying Honest And Authentic Marketing Why do some marketers create dishonest marketing campaigns that tap into impulsive emotions?
    Drew Gerber, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Forrest is a squirrel who has a tree nut allergy and can be hyperactive and impulsive.
    Jaclyn Greenberg, Parents, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of impulsive
Verb
  • The swift growth has been accompanied by stressors afflicting the city’s infrastructure, including its housing supply.
    Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Maylia and Jack are both kids, two of the untold number of minors caught up in one side or the other of the burgeoning fentanyl trade afflicting the US.
    Longreads, Longreads, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of afflicting
Verb
  • In the complaint, Lombardo is accused of assaulting Ziff in a New York City hotel room in 2011.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The assaulting force, a mixture of ground- and aerial unmanned vehicles, was used in the Kharkiv Oblast in northern Ukraine.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • Across the country, baristas at more than 300 cafes were striking, according to their union, Starbucks Workers United.
    Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
  • What’s striking is how his ideas about American tech supremacy — freeing innovators from regulation and government intervention, among them — align with the firm’s mission.
    David Jeans, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of striking
Verb
  • One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that government officials, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, have turned Mangione into a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool.
    Michael R. Sisak and Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Cops have arrested a motorist accused of attacking and robbing an NYPD traffic enforcement agent of his electronic summons book after getting a ticket on a busy Queens street, police said Friday.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of robbing
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near besetting

besets

besetting

beshrew

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Cite this Entry

“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on besetting

Nglish: Translation of besetting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of besetting for Arabic Speakers

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