beleaguered

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

Examples of beleaguered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That call, echoed almost immediately in the White House’s budget request, put a big question mark on the future of Boeing’s beleaguered rocket after roughly a decade of development. —Sana Pashankar, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026

Now, the price shock from the war with Iran has become yet another headache for the beleaguered industry that hauls 70% of all freight in America. —Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

Now Healey can do the same thing she’s done to the shelter program and EBT card spending and bring it to the beleaguered CCC. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

Down 4-3, the beleaguered Red Sox offense battled back, taking a 5-4 lead on Contreras’ ground-rule double in the fourth. —Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of beleaguer

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above