beleaguered

adjective

be·​lea·​guered bi-ˈlē-gərd How to pronounce beleaguered (audio)
bē-
Synonyms of beleaguered
: suffering or being subjected to constant or repeated trouble or harassment
an economically beleaguered city
With its life-support system cut off, the beleaguered college has embarked on a tortuous campaign to keep going.—Lucinda Harper
… as he evolved from conformist to opportunist to reformer to revolutionary to beleaguered leader.—Philip Taubman

Examples of beleaguered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a beleaguered lineup, the Padres could use an outfielder, a catcher and, regardless of position, left-handed hitting. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Dangerous fire weather conditions are expected to continue through the rest of the week, worsening near the week’s end, meaning there’s no end in sight for the beleaguered region. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 As investors moved away from data center plays, software once again is moving in the opposite direction, with beleaguered software names like Salesforce and Microsoft benefiting. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 2 July 2026 The Mets’ shortstop, playing in only his third game back since returning from a calf strain, hit a game-tying, two-run triple off Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Alan Rangel in the sixth inning, breathing new life into the beleaguered team. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for beleaguered

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of beleaguer

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of beleaguered was in 1644

Browse Nearby Words

beleaguer
beleaguered
belecture
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beleaguered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beleaguered. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on beleaguered

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for beleaguered

Nglish: Translation of beleaguered for Spanish Speakers

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