BESET (besetting)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: besetting   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does beset mean? 

• BESET (verb)
  The verb BESET has 3 senses:

1. annoy continually or chronically

2. assail or attack on all sides:

3. decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems)

  Familiarity information: BESET used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BESET (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they beset    ... he / she / it besets   
Past simple: beset   
Past participle: beset   
-ing form: besetting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Annoy continually or chronically

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke

Context example:

This man harasses his female co-workers

Hypernyms (to "beset" is one way to...):

annoy; bother; chafe; devil; get at; get to; gravel; irritate; nark; nettle; rag; rile; vex (cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "beset"):

goad; needle (annoy or provoke, as by constant criticism)

bedevil; crucify; dun; frustrate; rag; torment (treat cruelly)

haze (harass by imposing humiliating or painful tasks, as in military institutions)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assail or attack on all sides:

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

beset; set upon

Context example:

The zebra was beset by leopards

Hypernyms (to "beset" is one way to...):

assail; assault; attack; set on (attack someone physically or emotionally)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems)

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

beset; encrust; incrust

Hypernyms (to "beset" is one way to...):

adorn; beautify; decorate; embellish; grace; ornament (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Also, in his gambling, he had one besetting weakness—faith in a system; and this made his damnation certain.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

We seem so beset with difficulties on every side, that though it would make us miserable for a time, we should be happier perhaps in the end.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

You have hosted Saturn on your Sun in Capricorn since December 2017 and ever since, you have been beset with challenges that you calmly met head-on with your characteristic stoic sensibility and steadfast courage.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

What have we done, what has this poor thing done, that we are so sore beset?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

To them the outside life of mankind did indeed seem to be one of violence and of sin, beset with physical and still more with spiritual danger.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was almost as hard beset by him now as I had been once before, in a different way, by another.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Then he tried an opera, for nothing seemed impossible in the beginning, but here again unforeseen difficulties beset him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The big bull was beset on every side.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

But after his first bellow, Wolf Larsen made no noise. He was fighting grimly and silently for life. He was sore beset.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Martin was sore beset.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)