Beset
/bɪˈsɛt/
verbIntermediate📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
To surround and attack; to harass persistently.
/bɪˈsɛt/
verbnegativeIntermediate
General
To attack or trouble persistently
Problems beset the company from the start.
💡 Simply: To be bothered or attacked a lot.
More Examples
2
The hiker was beset by mosquitos.
How It's Used
Literary
"The castle was beset by enemies."
Figurative
"She was beset by doubts."
From Old English *besētan, from be- + settan "to set". Originally meaning "to set upon," it evolved to its current meaning.
Historically, 'beset' was more frequently used in a literal sense of surrounding and attacking.
Memory tip
Imagine being 'set upon' by troubles.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"to set upon"
Base: set
beset with problemsbeset by difficulties
Common misspellings
besettedbeseat
Practice
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written