beset

[bih-set] / bɪˈsɛt /

VERB

plague; hem in

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bedevil beleaguer besiege embarrass invade overrun perplex surround

STRONG

aggress assail attack badger bug circle compass dog encircle enclose encompass entangle environ girdle harass harry hassle infest nag nudge pester ride ring storm strike

WEAK

drive up the wall fall on fall upon give a bad time give a hard time give one the business give the needle jump on one's case pick on put the squeeze on start in on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

clarify clear up explain leave alone please surrender

STRONG

aid assist exclude free help let go lose release support unloose

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It describes a camp repeatedly beset by floods — including a major one in 1932 — and a family who wouldn’t acknowledge the danger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Lauren Halsey walks by in her distinctive white shirt, long shorts and ball cap, beset on all sides by friends and admirers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

If the case does proceed to trial, that path will be "beset by a multitude of delays" given the size and complexity of the material, which will include sensitive national security information.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

This country is tiled with adrift twentysomething males, beset with incoherent politics, whose opinion about any issue is generated in the 10 seconds after they’ve been asked the question.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Not only did invading endive and rats beset them, but native species, too, burst and blasted, freed from constraints by the disappearance of Native Americans.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Vocabulary lists containing beset

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