BESIEGE Meaning and
Definition
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The verb "besiege" refers to the act of surrounding or enclosing a place, typically a city or fortress, with a force in order to isolate it and bring about its surrender. It involves the strategic positioning of troops, equipment, or other forces to exert pressure and create an impediment for those inside by preventing or limiting their movement and access to supplies or reinforcements. The aim of a siege is primarily to wear down the defenders, leading to their eventual defeat or surrender.
When a place is besieged, the attackers often establish defensive fortifications and engage in a sustained campaign of firing artillery or launching missiles towards the besieged area. This is done with the intention of weakening the defenses and causing damage or casualties amongst those inside. The besieged party, in turn, may attempt to resist through defensive strategies such as erecting additional barriers, deploying their own artillery, or seeking assistance from allies.
Beyond its military context, "besiege" can also be used metaphorically, to describe the act of overwhelming someone or something with repeated requests, demands, or other persistent actions. In this sense, it implies a relentless, prevalent pressure that is difficult to evade or ignore. For example, a public figure may be besieged by the media, constantly hounded for statements or interviews. Overall, "besiege" conveys the notion of intense, often prolonged, pressure or encirclement in both literal and figurative contexts.
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To surround any place with soldiers, as a city or town, in order to take possession of it by force; to beset.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Top Common Misspellings for BESIEGE *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for BESIEGE
Etymology of BESIEGE
The word "besiege" entered the English language in the 14th century, derived from the Old French verb "bessieger", which itself came from the Late Latin word "obsidiare". "Obsidiare" was formed from the Latin prefix "ob" (meaning "towards" or "against") and the verb "sedere" (meaning "to sit"). Therefore, the word "besiege" originally referred to the act of sitting against or surrounding a fortification with troops. Over time, it has come to generally signify the act of surrounding or pressurizing something or someone.
Idioms with the word BESIEGE
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besiege sm or sth with sth
The idiom "besiege someone or something with something" means to overwhelm or inundate someone or something with an excessive amount of something, typically requests, demands, or complaints. It implies a sense of being under a constant and intense pressure or attack from a particular thing or situation.
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besiege with (something)
The idiom "besiege with (something)" means to overwhelm or trouble someone or something with a large number or intensity of a certain thing, typically requests, questions, or criticisms. It is often used to describe an excessive or burdensome situation where a person or thing is being bombarded or surrounded by a specific action or demand.
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besiege someone or something with something
To "besiege someone or something with something" means to overwhelm or inundate them with a large, persistent, or excessive amount of a particular thing, usually in a figurative sense. It implies a constant or relentless attack or pressure, which can be emotional, physical, or rhetorical.
Similar spelling word for BESIEGE
Conjugate verb Besiege
CONDITIONAL PERFECT
I
would have besieged
you
would have besieged
he/she/it
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would have besieged
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would have besieged
I
would have besiege
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would have besiege
he/she/it
would have besiege
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would have besiege
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would have besiege
CONDITIONAL PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
I
would have been besieging
you
would have been besieging
he/she/it
would have been besieging
we
would have been besieging
they
would have been besieging
CONDITIONAL PRESENT
I
would besiege
you
would besiege
he/she/it
would besiege
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would besiege
they
would besiege
CONDITIONAL PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
I
would be besieging
you
would be besieging
he/she/it
would be besieging
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would be besieging
they
would be besieging
FUTURE
I
will besiege
you
will besiege
he/she/it
will besiege
we
will besiege
they
will besiege
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
I
will be besieging
you
will be besieging
he/she/it
will be besieging
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will be besieging
they
will be besieging
FUTURE PERFECT
I
will have besieged
you
will have besieged
he/she/it
will have besieged
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will have besieged
they
will have besieged
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
will have been besieging
you
will have been besieging
he/she/it
will have been besieging
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will have been besieging
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will have been besieging
IMPERATIVE
you
besiege
we
let´s besiege
to besiege
PAST CONTINUOUS
I
was besieging
you
were besieging
he/she/it
was besieging
we
were besieging
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were besieging
PAST PARTICIPLE
besieged
PAST PERFECT
I
had besieged
you
had besieged
he/she/it
had besieged
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had besieged
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had besieged
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
had been besieging
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had been besieging
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had been besieging
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had been besieging
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had been besieging
PRESENT
I
besiege
you
besiege
he/she/it
besieges
we
besiege
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besiege
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
I
am besieging
you
are besieging
he/she/it
is besieging
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are besieging
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are besieging
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
besieging
PRESENT PERFECT
I
have besieged
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have besieged
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has besieged
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have besieged
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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I
have been besieging
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have been besieging
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has been besieging
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have been besieging
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have been besieging
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE
he/she/it
besiege
SIMPLE PAST
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besieged
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besieged
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besieged
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besieged
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besieged
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