embattled.

Facing active attack, severe criticism, or sustained opposition.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• an embattled official
• an embattled position
• embattled defenders

On the page

The embattled mayor feared that another resignation would end the administration.

Embattled defenders waited for the promised relief column.

Her embattled team kept working despite threats against the laboratory.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Emphasizes conflict still being fought, unlike helplessness. Fear can accompany the condition but is not inherent. Gradable with more/most; no inflectional endings normally needed.