Standard Lemma guide

beleaguered

adj · verb · 3 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.

  • UK: /bɪˈliːɡəd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 L IY1 G ER0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Besieged; surrounded by enemy troops.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a beleaguered stronghold
  • a beleaguered town

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Beset by trouble or difficulty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • a beleaguered ego
  • a beleaguered identity
  • a beleaguered real estate market

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

simple past and past participle of beleaguer

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From beleaguer + -ed.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: obležený — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • German: belagert — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • German: umzingelt — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Polish: oblężony — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Russian: осаждённый (osaždjónnyj) — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Russian: окружённый (okružónnyj) — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Spanish: asediado — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Spanish: sitiado — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Swedish: belägrad — besieged, surrounded by enemy troops
  • Dutch: aangeslagen — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Finnish: vaikeuksissa oleva — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • French: en difficulté — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • French: mal en point — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • French: éprouvé — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • French: assiégé — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • French: à bout de souffle — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • German: angeschlagen — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • German: überlastet — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • German: unter massivem Druck stehend — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Polish: nękany kłopotami — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Portuguese: fustigado — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Russian: многострадальный (mnogostradalʹnyj) — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Spanish: hostigado — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Spanish: acuciado — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Swedish: hårt ansatt — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Swedish: trängd — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Swedish: hårt pressad — beset by trouble or difficulty
  • Turkish: yıpranmış — beset by trouble or difficulty