Besiege Meaning
/bəˈsiːd͡ʒ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
verbTo beleaguer, to vex, to lay siege to, to beset.
Sentence Examples
The army will besiege the city tonight.
Protesters besiege the government building daily.
The enemy forces decided to besiege the city during the winter.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The army prepared to ____ the castle and starve out its defenders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The angry fans began to ____ the actor for their autographs city.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English besegen, bisegen, equivalent to be- (“around, about”) + siege.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1943 November and December, G. T. Porter, “The Lines Behind the Lines in Burma”, in Railway Magazine, page 325:
"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."
— 2021 March 25, Phil McNulty, “England 5-0 San Marino”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The army prepared to ____ the castle and starve out its defenders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The angry fans began to ____ the actor for their autographs city.