besiege

[ bih-seej ]
See synonyms for besiege on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),be·sieged, be·sieg·ing.
  1. to lay siege to.

  2. to crowd around; crowd in upon; surround: Vacationers besieged the travel office.

  1. to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.

Origin of besiege

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bysegen; see be-, siege

Other words for besiege

Other words from besiege

  • be·siege·ment, noun
  • be·sieg·er, noun
  • be·sieg·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for besiege

besiege

/ (bɪˈsiːdʒ) /


verb(tr)
  1. to surround (a fortified area, esp a city) with military forces to bring about its surrender

  2. to crowd round; hem in

  1. to overwhelm, as with requests or queries

Derived forms of besiege

  • besieger, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012