Word of the Day

: December 13, 2021

beleaguer

verb bih-LEE-gur

What It Means

Beleaguer means "to trouble or harass."

// The coach, beleaguered by the media and fans for his poor decision-making during games, has been fired.

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beleaguer in Context

"Pharmacists, some of whom already are financially beleaguered, say they can't afford an additional, unexpected hit that takes away as much as 50% of their annual profit." — Darrel Rowland, The Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, 31 Oct. 2021

Did You Know?

Beleaguer comes from the Dutch word belegeren. Leger means "camp" and the prefix be- means "about" or "around." Belegeren, by definition, is a neutral verb ("to camp around"); however, beleaguer implies trouble. It is also synonymous with besiege.