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

Less access to foreign currency will put further pressure on the beleaguered Iranian currency – the rial – and lead to higher import costs and even higher inflation. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Katty Delgado The immigrant father of a sailor aboard the beleaguered USS Abraham Lincoln was detained by immigration officials, family members said. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Cadillac has spent much of the 2026 season so far toward the rear of the 22-car field, often only battling with the beleaguered Aston Martin team to not start races at the back of the grid. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

These changing fortunes may point to both a limit to Trump’s ongoing trade assault on Canada, and a potential way forward for the country’s beleaguered manufacturers. — Ari Altstedter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of beleaguer

First Known Use

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined above