Standard Lemma guide

beleaguer

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /bɪˈliː.ɡə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /bɪˈli.ɡɚ/
  • General-American: /biˈli.ɡɚ/
  • rhymes with -iːɡə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 L IY1 G ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To besiege; to surround with troops.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beset, belay, encircle, invest, lay siege to

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To vex, harass, or beset.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badger, harry, plague, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, persecute, dog, besiege, bug, devil, beset, chevy, give someone grief, harass, hound, pester, pick at, vex

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To exhaust.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: do for, wear down, beleaguer, exhaust, fatigue, fordo, gas out, get down, jade, knock up, poop, run someone ragged, tire, tire out, wear, wear out, weary

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

surround so as to force to give up

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Turks besieged Vienna

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: besiege, surround, hem in, circumvent

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: attack, assail

Narrower terms: blockade, seal off, ebb

5

verb

Meaning 5

annoy persistently

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The children teased the boy because of his stammer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tease, badger, pester, bug

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: torment, rag, bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch belegeren and/or Middle Low German belēgeren; equivalent to be- + lair. Compare also German belagern, Danish belejre. The English spelling was perhaps influenced by unrelated league.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: պաշարել (pašarel) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Armenian: շրջապատել (šrǰapatel) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Bulgarian: обсаждам (obsaždam) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Chinese Mandarin: 圍攻 /围攻 (wéigōng) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Chinese Mandarin: 包圍 /包围 (bāowéi) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Czech: obléhat — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Czech: oblehnout — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Danish: belejre — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Dutch: belegeren — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Finnish: piirittää — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • French: investir — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • French: assiéger — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Georgian: ალყის შემორტყმა (alq̇is šemorṭq̇ma) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Georgian: ალყაში მოქცევა (alq̇aši mokceva) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Georgian: ალყა (alq̇a) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • German: belagern — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • German: umzingeln — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Kazakh: қоршап алу (qorşap alu) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Kazakh: қоршап қамау (qorşap qamau) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Kazakh: қоршау (qorşau) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: omleire — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Polish: oblegać — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Polish: oblec — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Polish: obsadzać — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Polish: obsadzić — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Polish: obstępować — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Polish: obstąpić — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Portuguese: sitiar — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Romanian: împresura — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Romanian: încercui — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Romanian: asedia — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Romanian: înconjura — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Russian: осажда́ть (osaždátʹ) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Russian: окружа́ть (okružátʹ) — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Spanish: sitiar — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Spanish: asediar — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Spanish: cercar — to besiege; to surround with troops
  • Armenian: անհանգստացնել (anhangstacʻnel) — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Chinese Mandarin: 糾纏 /纠缠 (jiūchán) — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Chinese Mandarin: 騷擾 /骚扰 (sāorǎo) — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Czech: obtěžovat — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Dutch: belagen — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Finnish: kiusata — to vex, harass, or beset
  • German: bedrängen — to vex, harass, or beset
  • German: belästigen — to vex, harass, or beset
  • German: stören — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Polish: nękać — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Romanian: necăji — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Romanian: irita — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Romanian: supăra — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Romanian: sâcâi — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Russian: беспоко́ить (bespokóitʹ) — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Russian: осажда́ть (osaždátʹ) — to vex, harass, or beset
  • Spanish: hostigar — to vex, harass, or beset