beleaguered

adjective

be·​lea·​guered bi-ˈlē-gərd 

bē-

: suffering or being subjected to constant or repeated trouble or harassment

an economically beleaguered city

With its life-support system cut off, the beleaguered college has embarked on a tortuous campaign to keep going.

—Lucinda Harper

… as he evolved from conformist to opportunist to reformer to revolutionary to beleaguered leader.

—Philip Taubman

Examples of beleaguered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

British voters appear poised to elect the opposition Labour Party, possibly by a landslide margin, over the beleaguered Conservatives, while in the United States, a Democratic president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., is in a dogfight with Mr. Trump and his Republican Party. —Mark Landler, New York Times, 25 May 2024

While most villages across the beleaguered West Bank lie dormant, Farkha buzzes with activity. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024

Xi Jinping’s government announced its most forceful attempt yet to rescue the beleaguered Chinese property market, relaxing mortgage rules and urging local governments to buy unsold homes as authorities become increasingly concerned about the sector’s drag on economic growth. —Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 21 May 2024

The beloved yet beleaguered pillar of casual dining abruptly shuttered dozens of locations this week, heightening speculation that the chain is careening toward bankruptcy. —Marisa Gerber, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of beleaguer

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above