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.

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

Adam Miller said Los Angeles is on a downward trajectory and is beset with problems.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

United’s merger in 2010 with Continental had been a turbulent process beset by tech snafus and labor disputes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said on Monday she will step down from the role, departing after a tenure beset by a series of scandals including complaints over the treatment of young female staffers.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

My course, which for a while had looked so clear and hopeful, seemed likely to become as tortuous and beset with secrets as it had been in Ehrenrang.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Vocabulary lists containing beset

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