beleaguered

1 of 2

adjective

be·​lea·​guered bi-ˈlē-gərd 

bē-

: 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

beleaguered

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of beleaguer

Examples of beleaguered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Republicans naturally didn’t want to cross Trump and support the beleaguered arts mecca. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Nov. 2026

How to tackle the district’s beleaguered finances and shrinking enrollment became a dividing line in the races. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026

That outcome has to be heartening for pollsters, an often-beleaguered and much-criticized cohort. — W Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

After a dark and stormy Halloween night with showers that continued into Sunday, Southern California can expect clear skies this week as well as hotter temperatures, particularly along the beleaguered coastline. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of beleaguer

First Known Use

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined above