beset

verb

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

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.
Indonesia’s second-quarter growth unexpectedly accelerated to the fastest pace in two years, with exports and investment helping an economy that’s beset by weak loan growth and mass job losses in manufacturing. Grace Sihombing, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025 We are beset by panhandlers, shouted at by unstable wanderers, and forced to abandon our own plans to the claims of others who have made public places theirs exclusively. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025 The Osbournes, set in the family’s L.A. home in the early aughts, deflated the patriarch’s imposing public perception, revealing a noisy life beset by his sullen teens, wife and wrangler, and everyone’s zany dogs. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 July 2025 Powell’s management of the project, beset by cost overruns, has been raised by White House officials as a possible pretext for removing him after a Supreme Court ruling indicated the president’s powers over executive branch officials do not necessarily apply to the Federal Reserve. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 24 July 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 21 Aug. 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

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