besiege

1 to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication armies besieged the city for six months before it finally surrendered Synonyms beleaguer, blockade, invest, leaguer [archaic] Related Words barricade, block, cut off, dam, encircle; assail, assault, attack, beset; confine, insulate, isolate, quarantine Phrases lay siege to Near Antonyms emancipate, free, liberate, release, rescue

2 to cause persistent suffering to a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy Synonyms agonize, anguish, bedevil, beset, afflict, curse, excruciate, harrow, persecute, plague, rack, torment, tortureRelated Words assail, attack; badger, dog, hound, pursue, ride; aggravate, agitate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, distress, disturb, exasperate, gall, get, grate, gripe, hagride, harass, harry, irk, irritate, molest, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put out, rasp, rile, vex; discomfort, discompose, disquiet, fluster, grieve, perturb, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry; crush, oppress, overpower, overwhelm, smite, strike, tyrannize, victimize; hurt, pain, pang, prick, smart, stab, sting, wring; martyrNear Antonyms abet, aid, assist, help; deliver, release, relieve, reprieve; comfort, console, content, quiet, solace, soothe, succor

3 to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner bereaved parents continued to besiege the president with pleas to end the war Synonyms appeal (to), beseech, beg, conjure, entreat, impetrate, implore, importune, petition, plead (to), pray, solicit, supplicateRelated Words bludge [chiefly Australian & New Zealand], cadge, mooch, sponge; ask, desire, invoke, request, sue; claim, coerce, command, compel, demand, force, insist, requireNear Antonyms hint, imply, intimate, suggest; appease, conciliate, gratify, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, satisfy; comfort, console, content, quiet