Definition of "besiege" [be•siege]

• To surround with hostile forces. (verb-transitive)
• To crowd around; hem in. (verb-transitive)
• To harass or importune, as with requests: Reporters besieged the winner for interviews. (verb-transitive)
• To cause to feel distressed or worried: She was besieged by problems. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "BENNETT: Yes, there is, because the word besiege reentered our vocabulary before the weekend."
• "Inward sorrows, gnawing thoughts that "besiege" men, doubts, remorse, gloomy landscapes, all afford them abundant inspiration."
• "American bishop urges Catholics to 'besiege' New York Times"