Besiege
/bɪˈsiːdʒ/
verbC1
Definition
To besiege means to surround a place, like a city or building, with soldiers or people to try to take control of it. It can also mean to ask someone many times or put a lot of pressure on them for something. The idea is to not let the person or place escape or rest.
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See It in Action
To surround a place with armed forces to capture or force surrender
- •The army besieged the city for several months.
- •During the war, the castle was besieged by enemy soldiers.
- •The town was besieged until the defenders ran out of food.
To overwhelm someone with requests, questions, or pressure
- •The celebrity was besieged by reporters after the show.
- •She was besieged with phone calls asking for help.
- •The manager was besieged by complaints from customers.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "besiege" like "surround," but with the goal to take control or force something, not just to be around
- ✓Picture a castle with walls all around it and many soldiers outside, blocking every door and window
- ✓It feels like being stuck and pressured from all sides, like when many friends ask you the same question again and again
- ✓Sounds like "bee-SEEJ" → imagine a group of bees (busy and many) surrounding a flower, not letting it go
- ✓In stories, besieging is like armies surrounding a castle to win a war or people bothering a leader with many requests
- ✓NOT like "visit" (friendly, allowed), "besiege" is forceful and does not let you leave
- ✓NOT like "attack" (one quick action), "besiege" is a long, ongoing surrounding and pressure
- ✓NOT like "ask" (one time), "besiege" is repeated and strong asking or pressing
Try Other Words
- •Blockade: to stop goods or people from entering or leaving a place (Use when focusing on stopping movement, especially in war)
- •Crowd: to fill a place with many people (Use when many people gather but without the idea of attack or pressure)
- •Harass: to annoy or bother someone repeatedly (Use when focusing on pressure or repeated requests, not physical surrounding)
- •Attack: to try to hurt or defeat quickly (Use when action is fast and direct, not long and surrounding)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "be-" (around, about) + "siege" (a military attack where a place is surrounded)
- •Etymology: From Old French "besieger," from "be-" (around) + "sieger" (to sit, to occupy)
- •Historical development: Originally used for military actions where armies sat around a city to capture it
- •Modern usage: Used both for military situations and for strong, repeated pressure in everyday life
Reflect & Connect
•How might the word "besiege" be used to describe situations outside of war, like in daily life or work?
•What feelings does the idea of being besieged create, and how can understanding this word help you describe pressure or stress?
Fill in the blanks
1.The soldiers began to besiege the fortress because they wanted to ___ control and stop anyone from leaving.
2.When a famous person is besieged by fans, it means they are ___ many questions or requests at the same time.
3.Besiege is different from just "surround" because it usually involves ___ or strong pressure.
4.The city was besieged for weeks, so the people inside had to ___ with little food and water.
5.Reporters besieged the politician ___ the scandal, asking for answers everywhere he went.
6.When you besiege someone with phone calls, you ___ them repeatedly and strongly.
7.Besiege can describe both a physical situation, like an army around a city, and a ___ situation, like many people asking for help.