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.

In the video, Pratt stood outside Raman’s Silver Lake home and the city-owned Getty House in Hancock Park, where Bass lives, contending both are far removed from the urban ills that beset other Angelenos.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Stock markets have been beset by commentary comparing current levels, powered by searing tech stocks, to the dotcom era of the late 1990s.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

The major contemporary art gathering, dubbed “the Olympics of the art world,” is beset with drama and geopolitical froideur.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 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

Milton was beset by a storm of emotion he refused to acknowledge.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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