What does besiege mean?
Besiege means (transitive) To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer..
Besiege
/bəˈsiːd͡ʒ/ · verb
Meaning
(transitive) To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer..
Definitions by Sense
- (transitive) To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
- (transitive, figuratively) To beleaguer, to vex, to lay siege to, to beset.
- (transitive) To assail or ply, as with requests or demands.
Example Sentences
When it arrived, the train was headed by a "K" class 4-6-0 wood-burning locomotive, and a water-tank wagon next to the tender was immediately besieged by women and girls, clad in their picturesque national costume, all with empty kerosene tins for water, a scene which was re-enacted at each stop down the line.
They should have inflicted a much heavier loss on their besieged opponents, the highlight being a late goal for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins on debut after he came on as a substitute.
Synonyms for besiege
Antonyms for besiege
Related Words
Word Forms
- besieges
- besieging
- besieged
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for besiege?
Common synonyms include circumvent, beleaguer, surround, hem in.
What is the opposite of besiege?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use besiege in a sentence?
When it arrived, the train was headed by a "K" class 4-6-0 wood-burning locomotive, and a water-tank wagon next to the tender was immediately besieged by women and girls, clad in their picturesque national costume, all with empty kerosene tins for water, a scene which was re-enacted at each stop down the line.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.