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.

Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard and more star in an eight-part series about a retirement community beset by strange happenings.

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

Like James Gandolfini in “Loop,” or Daniel Kaluuya in “Get Out,” or Eddie Albert in “Green Acres,” Mr. Bonneville is playing the only bona-fide sane adult in a crowd beset by mental malfunction, i.e, agendas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Winger Solly March, 31, another long-serving player beset by serious knee injuries, has struggled for game time in the past three campaigns.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

On top of panic that I’d lost my friend, I was suddenly beset by worries about my reputation.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Vocabulary lists containing beset

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