beset
Senses relating to surroundingSenses relating to surrounding.: To assail or attack (someone) from all sides; to set about.
» The problem was beset with difficulties.
Das Problem steckte voller Schwierigkeiten.
Meaning
14 sensesSenses relating to surrounding.
(transitive)To assail or attack (someone) from all sides; to set about.
осажда́тьosaždátʹ, осади́тьosadítʹ, тесни́тьtesnítʹ
обляга́тиobljaháty, обсіда́тиobsidáty, ото́чуватиotóčuvaty
assail or attack on all sides
(transitive)To occupy and block (an entrance, a passage, etc.), especially to prevent people from passing.
(transitive)To decorate (someone or something) by surrounding with accessories, etc.
украша́тьukrašátʹ, укра́ситьukrásitʹ
оздо́блюватиozdóbljuvaty, оздобля́тиozdobljáty, оздо́битиozdóbyty
(figuratively, transitive)Of dangers, difficulties, enemies, etc.: to negatively affect (someone or something); to trouble.
(archaic, transitive)Followed by with: to encircle or surround (someone or something); to hem in.
Followed by with: to encircle or surround (someone or something); to hem in.
(archaic, transitive)To trap (a ship) within frozen sea; to ice in.
Senses relating to surrounding.
(archaic, often, transitive)Of soldiers, etc.: to surround (a place) to compel surrender; to besiege.
(obsolete, transitive)To capture (an animal); to ensnare, to entrap.
Senses relating to placing or setting.
(obsolete, transitive)To arrange or set (something) in order.
(obsolete, transitive)To give (something); to bestow, to present.
(obsolete, transitive)To spend or use (something, such as effort, money, time, or words).
(obsolete, transitive)Followed by on or upon: to place or set (love, trust, etc.) on someone.
Examples
9 sentencesThe problem was beset with difficulties.
deDas Problem steckte voller Schwierigkeiten. — Tamy
Behold the evil that besets mankind.
The company is still beset by technical challenges.
Young people fled cities beset by terrorism, the economic crisis and drugs.
She was beset by worries.
deSie wurde von Ängsten geplagt. — Esperantostern
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 3
By meaning 2
Origin
From Middle English besetten, bisetten (“to besiege, blockade; to fill, occupy; to harass,From Middle English besetten, bisetten (“to besiege, blockade; to fill, occupy; to harass, beset; to allot, bestow; to arrange, manage; to place, set; to provide for; to treat in a certain way”), from Old English besettan, bisettan (“to surround, beset; to set near; etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisattjan, from Proto-Germanic *bisatjaną (“to fill, occupy”), from *bi- (prefix meaning ‘at; by’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at; near; on”)) + *satjaną (“to place down, set”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)). By surface analysis, be- (prefix meaning ‘around; by, close to, near, next to’) + set.
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Forms
besets, besetting, beset, besetSynonyms
36 synonymsAntonyms
1 antonymsWord family
5 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle