besiege
verb
be·siege bi-ˈsēj 
bē-
besieged; besieging
transitive verb
1
military : to surround with armed forces
The army had besieged the castle.
2
a
: to press with requests : importune
… besieging the royal ministers with petitions …
T. B. Costain
T. B. Costainbesieged by the media
b
: to cause worry or distress to : beset
doubts besieged him
besieger noun
Synonyms
- beleaguer
- blockade
- invest
- leaguer [archaic]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Customers have besieged the company with questions.
Recent Examples on the Web Russian forces continued to besiege the steel plant into Sunday with airstrikes; artillery bombardment; tank, drone and sniper fire, as well as infantry assaults, the fighters said. Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2022 The British Defense Ministry says Russia’s decision to besiege rather than attack the plant means many Russian units cannot be redeployed elsewhere in the country. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2022 Experts say Russia may try to besiege Ukrainian forces by linking its troops in the north and the south. Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022 Now in its second month, the war has turned into a grinding ordeal as Russian forces continue to besiege the north and south of Ukraine while counteroffensives have pushed Russian soldiers back from advancing on the capital, Kyiv. Patrick J. Mcdonnell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2022 At the same time, an airlift would counter Russia’s strategy to besiege the Ukrainian people, boost Ukrainian morale, and increase international efforts to aid Ukraine. Douglas J. Feith And John Hannah, WSJ, 14 Mar. 2022 However, British defense officials reported Saturday that the Russian military continues to besiege a number of other major Ukrainian cities, including Chernihiv, which is located 91 miles from Kyiv. Yuras Karmanau, chicagotribune.com, 26 Mar. 2022 Russia's forces have been heavily bombing Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv for days, with dozens of civilian deaths—now, their terror is coming to besiege Kyiv. David Meyer, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2022 But 73% of that immense fortune has now evaporated, and the tycoon will almost certainly lose even more as anxious creditors, suppliers and homebuyers besiege Evergrande’s offices. Yue Wang, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021 See More
Anchorage Daily News, 8 May 2022 The British Defense Ministry says Russia’s decision to besiege rather than attack the plant means many Russian units cannot be redeployed elsewhere in the country. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2022 Experts say Russia may try to besiege Ukrainian forces by linking its troops in the north and the south. Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022 Now in its second month, the war has turned into a grinding ordeal as Russian forces continue to besiege the north and south of Ukraine while counteroffensives have pushed Russian soldiers back from advancing on the capital, Kyiv. Patrick J. Mcdonnell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2022 At the same time, an airlift would counter Russia’s strategy to besiege the Ukrainian people, boost Ukrainian morale, and increase international efforts to aid Ukraine. Douglas J. Feith And John Hannah, WSJ, 14 Mar. 2022 However, British defense officials reported Saturday that the Russian military continues to besiege a number of other major Ukrainian cities, including Chernihiv, which is located 91 miles from Kyiv. Yuras Karmanau, chicagotribune.com, 26 Mar. 2022 Russia's forces have been heavily bombing Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv for days, with dozens of civilian deaths—now, their terror is coming to besiege Kyiv. David Meyer, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2022 But 73% of that immense fortune has now evaporated, and the tycoon will almost certainly lose even more as anxious creditors, suppliers and homebuyers besiege Evergrande’s offices. Yue Wang, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
besiege
verb
be·siege bi-ˈsēj
besieged; besieging
1
: to surround with armed forces for the purpose of capturing The army besieged the castle.
2
: to crowd around
The movie star was besieged by photographers.
3
: to overwhelm with questions or requests
… the monks around me besieged me with eager questions … Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Courtbesieging
verb
1
as in blockading
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication armies besieged the city for six months before it finally surrendered Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- blockading
- attacking
- encircling
- beleaguering
- assaulting
- barricading
- assailing
- leaguering
- blocking
- besetting
- investing
- isolating
- laying siege to
- confining
- insulating
- cutting off
- damming
- quarantining
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rescuing
- freeing
- liberating
- releasing
- emancipating
2
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy Synonyms & Similar Words
- plaguing
- afflicting
- persecuting
- torturing
- attacking
- tormenting
- cursing
- besetting
- bedeviling
- bothering
- assailing
- racking
- agonizing
- excruciating
- anguishing
- harrowing
- troubling
- harassing
- stinging
- harrying
- pursuing
- oppressing
- hounding
- overwhelming
- striking
- pestering
- badgering
- aggravating
- irritating
- annoying
- trying
- agitating
- disturbing
- exasperating
- nettling
- tyrannizing
- distressing
- dogging
- perturbing
- riding
- vexing
- bugging
- hurting
- upsetting
- riling
- stabbing
- victimizing
- griping
- irking
- stressing
- overpowering
- worrying
- molesting
- crushing
- smiting
- grieving
- disquieting
- straining
- galling
- chafing
- discomforting
- grating
- piquing
- flustering
- smarting
- pricking
- getting
- rasping
- martyring
- discomposing
- paining
- peeving
- wringing
- putting out
- hagriding
- panging
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- aiding
- assisting
- helping
- relieving
- abetting
- delivering
- releasing
- contenting
- consoling
- quieting
- comforting
- succoring
- soothing
- solacing
- reprieving
3
as in petitioning
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner bereaved parents continued to besiege the president with pleas to end the war Synonyms & Similar Words
- petitioning
- begging
- imploring
- entreating
- praying
- beseeching
- importuning
- asking
- supplicating
- conjuring
- requiring
- soliciting
- requesting
- invoking
- suing
- forcing
- appealing (to)
- impetrating
- calling on
- coercing
- desiring
- pleading (to)
- insisting
- calling upon
- demanding
- claiming
- commanding
- cadging
- sponging
- compelling
- mooching
- bludging
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- intimating
- suggesting
- implying
- hinting
- pacifying
- appeasing
- obliging
- gratifying
- conciliating
- pleasing
- satisfying
- contenting
- placating
- consoling
- comforting
- quieting
- mollifying