beleaguered

adjective

be·​lea·​guered bi-ˈlē-gərd How to pronounce beleaguered (audio)
bē-
: suffering or being subjected to constant or repeated trouble or harassment
an economically beleaguered city
With its life-support system cut off, the beleaguered college has embarked on a tortuous campaign to keep going.Lucinda Harper
… as he evolved from conformist to opportunist to reformer to revolutionary to beleaguered leader.Philip Taubman

Examples of beleaguered in a Sentence

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.
After a legal tussle to sever the naming rights deal, the Astros settled with Enron—paying the beleaguered company $2.1 million in the process—and signed a new deal with Minute Maid, which is based in Houston. Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 18 Nov. 2024 Filmmaker Joe Swanberg, who appeared in a notorious 2012 match opposite beleaguered film critic Devin Faraci, now looks back on the experience with mixed feelings — raising questions about the event’s core nature. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024 The increase has depressed the beleaguered housing market, as would-be buyers who'd been gunning for lower rates are backing away and waiting it out. Emily Peck, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024 Probably enough to make sure some beleaguered districts had a full staff of counselors, and maybe better food. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beleaguered 

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of beleaguer

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of beleaguered was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near beleaguered

Cite this Entry

“Beleaguered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beleaguered. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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!