beset

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: be=set

CIDE DICTIONARY

beset, v. t. [AS. besettan (akin to OHG. bisazjan, G. besetzen, D. bezetten); pref. be- + settan to set. See Set.].

•  To set or stud (anything) with ornaments or prominent objects.  [1913 Webster]

  "A robe of azure beset with drops of gold."  [1913 Webster]

  "The garden is so beset with all manner of sweet shrubs that it perfumes the air."  [1913 Webster]
•  To hem in; to waylay; to surround; to besiege; to blockade.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let thy troops beset our gates."  [1913 Webster]
•  To set upon on all sides; to perplex; to harass; -- said of dangers, obstacles, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  To occupy; to employ; to use up.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To surround; inclose; environ; hem in; besiege; encircle; encompass; embarrass; urge; press.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

beset, v.tr. (besetting; past and past part. beset)
1 attack or harass persistently (beset by worries).
2 surround or hem in (a person etc.).
3 archaic cover round with (beset with pearls).

Idiom

besetting sin the sin that especially or most frequently tempts one.

Derivative

besetment n.

Etymology

OE besettan f. Gmc

THESAURUS

beset

abashed, afflict, afflicted, aggravate, agitated, ail, annoy, annoyed, anxious, apply pressure, assail, assault, attack, badger, badgered, bait, baited, barred, be at, be the matter, bedevil, bedeviled, beleaguer, beleaguered, besiege, besieged, blandish, blockade, blockaded, bother, bothered, bound, box in, bristle, brown off, bug, bugged, bullyrag, bullyragged, burn up, buttonhole, cabined, cage, caged, cajole, cast down, chagrined, chamber, chapfallen, chivied, chivy, circle, cloistered, close in, closed-in, coax, compass, compel, complicate matters, concern, confined, confused, contain, coop, coop in, coop up, cooped, cordon, cordon off, cordoned, cordoned off, corral, corralled, cramped, crawl with, creep with, cribbed, devil, deviled, discomfited, discomforted, discommode, discompose, discomposed, disconcerted, disquieted, distemper, distress, distressed, disturb, disturbed, dog, dogged, drive, dun, embarrassed, encircle, enclose, enclosed, encompass, enshrine, envelop, environ, exasperate, exercise, exert pressure, fall, fash, fence in, fenced, fret, fretted, gem, get, gird, girdle, grip, gripe, grubby, harass, harassed, harried, harry, haunt, haunted, heckle, heckled, hector, hectored, hedge in, hedged, hem, hem in, hemmed, hold, hound, hounded, house in, hung up, hunt, ill at ease, immured, impel, importune, impound, imprison, imprisoned, incarcerate, incarcerated, include, inconvenience, inconvenienced, infatuate, infest, infested, invade, invest, irk, irked, jail, jailed, jewel, kennel, lay siege to, leaguer, leaguered, lousy, mew, mew up, mewed, miff, molest, mortified, nag, nag at, needle, needled, nettle, nipped at, not let go, nudzh, obsess, oppress, out of countenance, overrun, overspread, overswarm, paled, pedicular, pediculous, peeve, pen, pen in, penned, pent-up, perplex, persecute, persecuted, perturb, perturbed, pester, pestered, pick on, picked on, pique, plague, plagued, pluck the beard, ply, pocket, possess, pother, preoccupy, press, pressure, provoke, pursue, push, put out, put to it, put-out, put-upon, puzzle, puzzled, quarantine, quarantined, ragged, rail in, railed, ratty, ravage, ravaged, restrained, ride, rile, ring, roil, ruffle, shrine, shut in, shut up, shut-in, soften up, sore beset, stable, storm, strike, surround, swarm, swarm with, tease, teased, teeming, torment, tormented, trouble, troubled, try the patience, tweak the nose, uncomfortable, uneasy, upset, urge, vex, vexed, victimize, wall in, walled, walled-in, wheedle, work on, wormy, worried, worried sick, worried stiff, worry, wrap, yard, yard up

ROGET THESAURUS

beset

Request

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Circumjacence

VB lie around, surround, beset, compass, encompass, environ, inclose, enclose, encircle, embrace, circumvent, lap, gird, belt, begird, engird, skirt, twine round, hem in.

Sequence

VB succeed, come after, come on, come next, follow, ensue, step into the shoes of, alternate, place after, suffix, append, follow, pursue, go after, fly after, attend, beset, dance attendance on, dog, tread in the steps of, tread close upon, be in the wake of, be in the trail of, be in the rear of, go in the wake of, go in the trail of, go in the rear of, follow in the wake of, follow in the trail of, follow in the rear of, follow as a shadow, hang on the skirts of, tread on the heels of, follow on the heels of, camp on the trail.