besetting

Main Entry:
beset [bih-set]
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: plague; hem in
Synonyms: aggress, assail, attack, badger, bedevil, beleaguer, besiege, bug*, circle*, compass, dog*, drive up the wall, embarrass, encircle, enclose, encompass, entangle, environ, fall on, fall upon, girdle, give a bad time, give a hard time, give one the business, give the needle, harass, harry, hassle, infest, invade, jump on one's case, nag, nudge, overrun, perplex, pester, pick on, put the squeeze on, ride, ring, start in on, storm, strike, surround
Main Entry: afflict
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: cause or become hurt
Synonyms: agonize, annoy, beset, bother, burden, crucify, distress, grieve, harass, harrow, harry, irk, lacerate, martyr, oppress, pain, pester, plague, press, rack, smite, strike, torment, torture, trouble, try, vex, worry, wound
Notes: afflict is generally used with living beings; inflict is generally used with inanimate objects
inflict takes 'on,' afflict takes 'with'
Antonyms: aid, comfort, help, solace, stay away from, take care of
Main Entry: assail
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: attack, usually with words
Synonyms: abuse, assault, bash, berate, beset, blast, blister, bust, charge, come at, criticize, encounter, have at, impugn, invade, lambaste, lay into, malign, maltreat, molest, revile, set upon, trash*, vilify, work over
Notes: to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms
Main Entry: assault
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: attack
Synonyms: abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on, go for, haul off on, invade, jump, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, let have it, light into, rape, ruin, set upon, shoot down, slam, slap around, storm, strike, trash, violate, work over, zap
Notes: to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms
assault is an attempt or threat to do physical harm while battery is unjustified application of force; assault and battery is carrying out of threatened physical harm or violence
Main Entry: attack
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: assault physically
Synonyms: advance, aggress, ambush, assail, assault, bash, bat, bean, beat, beset, besiege, biff, blast, blister, boff, bombard, boot, bop, brain*, bust, charge, chop down, clip, clock, club, combat, cook*, harm, hit, hurt, infiltrate, invade, jump, kick, knock block off, knock cold, knock for a loop, larrup, lay siege to, light into, molest, mug, overwhelm, pounce upon, punch, raid, rush, set upon, slog, soak, stab, storm, strike, take the offensive, turn on, wallop, whop
Antonyms: aid, defend, protect, resist, retreat, shelter, shield, submit, support, surrender, sustain
Main Entry: beleaguer
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: harass, besiege
Synonyms: annoy, badger, bedevil, beset, blockade, bother, gnaw, harry, nag, persecute, pester, plague, put upon, set upon, siege, storm, tease, vex, worry
Main Entry: besiege
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: surround; assault
Synonyms: assail, attack, beleaguer, beset, blockade, come at from all sides, confine, congregate, encircle, encompass, environ, hem in, invest, lay siege to, shut in, trap, work on, work over
Antonyms: leave alone
Main Entry: bombard
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: assault, attack
Synonyms: assail, barrage, batter, beset, besiege, blast, blitz, bomb, cannonade, catapult, fire upon, harass, hound, launch, open fire, pester, pound, shell, strafe, strike
Main Entry: coerce
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: compel, press
Synonyms: beset, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, concuss, constrain, cow, dragoon, drive, force, high pressure, hinder, impel, intimidate, lean on, make, make an offer they can't refuse, menace, oblige, pressurize, push, put the squeeze on, repress, restrict, shotgun, strong-arm, suppress, terrorize, threaten, twist one's arm, urge
Antonyms: leave alone
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