beleaguered.

Surrounded by persistent attacks, demands, or difficulties that strain one’s ability to cope.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a beleaguered leader
• beleaguered residents
• feel beleaguered

On the page

The beleaguered caretaker faced another warning before dawn.

Residents of the beleaguered district feared that the pumps would fail again.

She sounded beleaguered after a week of threats and emergency meetings.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Originally connected with siege; figurative use emphasizes repeated pressure, not necessarily physical confinement or fear. Gradable with more/most; no inflectional endings normally needed.