beset

verb

be·​set bi-ˈset How to pronounce beset (audio)
bē-
beset; besetting
Synonyms of besetnext

transitive verb

1
: to set or stud with or as if with ornaments
a crown beset with rubies
… leaves, whose edges were beset with thorns …J. G. Frazer
2
: trouble, harass
inflation besets the economy
3
a
: to set upon : assail
the explorers were beset by wolves
b
: to hem in : surround
a town beset with high mountains
besetment noun

Examples of beset in a Sentence

A lack of money is the greatest problem besetting the city today. he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
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.
Arkansas Baptist College was beset by financial difficulties and changes in leadership earlier this year when then-president Leslie Rodriguez McClellon resigned amid complaints that employees were not being paid. Arkansas Online, 18 Dec. 2025 The United Nations and private researchers have long accused North Korea, which is beset by international sanctions and has relations with only a handful of countries, of deploying its hackers to steal cryptocurrency to help fund its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025 Nigeria has dismissed accusations of Christian genocide, saying Muslims are as much a victim of armed groups as Christians in the country of 230 million people that has been beset by decades of violence rooted in ethnic, religious and political divisions as well as criminality. Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025 In the weeks leading up to this, however, I had been beset by migraines. David Freyne, Time, 7 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beset

Word History

Etymology

Middle English besetten, from Old English besettan, from be- + settan to set

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beset was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beset. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

beset

verb
be·​set bi-ˈset How to pronounce beset (audio)
beset; besetting
1
: to trouble with problems
2
: to set upon : assail

More from Merriam-Webster on beset

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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