SET UPON

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does set upon mean? 

• SET UPON (verb)
  The verb SET UPON has 1 sense:

1. assail or attack on all sides:

  Familiarity information: SET UPON used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SET UPON (verb)

Sense 1

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 "set upon" is one way to...):

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

Sentence frames:

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

 Context examples 

Why, I cannot say that, but she seemed very set upon it, and women have their fancies.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Alleyne, I fear that you will never live to see such things, for the minds of men are more set upon money and gain than of old.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Very well, Amy, if your heart is set upon it, and you see your way through without too great an outlay of money, time, and temper, I'll say no more.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Pietro is set upon his track.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Well, though I had her heart, her father was set upon her marrying Barclay.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In the meantime the astonished team-dogs had burst out of their nests only to be set upon by the fierce invaders.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

What could I do but tell Miss Mills, with grateful looks and fervent words, how much I appreciated her good offices, and what an inestimable value I set upon her friendship!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Hardly had the carriage entered the grounds, when he was set upon by a sheep-dog, bright- eyed, sharp-muzzled, righteously indignant and angry.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He replied, that, by the laws of the kingdom, I must be searched by two of his officers; that he knew this could not be done without my consent and assistance; and he had so good an opinion of my generosity and justice, as to trust their persons in my hands; that whatever they took from me, should be returned when I left the country, or paid for at the rate which I would set upon them.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Poole disinterred the axe from under a stack of packing straw; the candle was set upon the nearest table to light them to the attack; and they drew near with bated breath to where that patient foot was still going up and down, up and down, in the quiet of the night.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)