First recorded in 1250–1300, besiege is from the Middle English word bysegen. See be-, siege. The verb BESIEGE has 3 senses: 1. Surround so as to force to give up. Cause to feel distressed or worried. Harass, as with questions or requests. Familiarity information: BESIEGE used as a verb is uncommon.

• They were besieged by reporters while leaving the courthouse.

• Customers have besieged the company with questions.

• Every day, her office is besieged [=bombarded] with letters/questions/complaints about the problem.

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• transitive verb To surround with hostile forces.
• transitive verb To crowd around; hem in.
• transitive verb To harass or overwhelm, as with requests.

from The Century Dictionary.

• To lay siege to; beleaguer; beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, either by famine or by violent attacks: as, to besiege a castle or city.
• To beset; throng around; harass.
• Synonyms To beset, hem in, invest, blockade.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• transitive verb To beset or surround with armed forces, for the purpose of compelling to surrender; to lay siege to; to beleaguer; to beset.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• verbtransitive To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
• verbtransitive, figuratively To beleaguer, lay siege to, beset.
• verb to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• verb harass, as with questions or requests
• verb surround so as to force to give up
• verb cause to feel distressed or worried

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

Examples

• BENNETT: Yes, there is, because the word besiege reentered our vocabulary before the weekend.

• Inward sorrows, gnawing thoughts that 'besiege' men, doubts, remorse, gloomy landscapes, all afford them abundant inspiration. Uk truck simulator game download.

• Well, then the rest of us will 'besiege' the RCC and start demanding they be held accountable for these crimes.

• American bishop urges Catholics to 'besiege' New York Times

• Columnist Ahmed Gamal Badawi wrote in the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd that the government policy to 'besiege' Islamists with 'obscenity' would backfire and only add

• Columnist Ahmed Gamal Badawi wrote in the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd that the government policy to 'besiege' Islamists with 'obscenity' would backfire and only add

• Columnist Ahmed Gamal Badawi wrote in the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd that the government policy to 'besiege' Islamists with 'obscenity' would backfire and only add

• Columnist Ahmed Gamal Badawi wrote in the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd that the government policy to 'besiege' Islamists with 'obscenity' would backfire and only add

• Columnist Ahmed Gamal Badawi wrote in the liberal opposition daily Al-Wafd that the government policy to 'besiege' Islamists with 'obscenity' would backfire and only add

• 'besiege' Israel though boycotts, raising the price of its oppression.

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