besieged
UK[bɪˈsiːdʒd]US[bɪˈsiːdʒd]
verb (past tense and past participle)
to surround a place with armed forces in order to make it surrender
verb (past tense and past participle)
to surround or crowd around someone, especially to ask questions or make demands
verb (past tense and past participle)
to overwhelm with persistent requests, problems, or troubles
Morpheme Breakdown
be
siege
d
be
seat
siege
d
Etymology
the word 'besieged' originates from the middle english term 'besegen', which was formed by combining the intensive prefix 'be-' with the noun 'siege'. the noun 'siege' itself entered english from old french 'sege', meaning 'seat' or 'a sitting down', which evolved from vulgar latin sedicum, a derivative of latin sedēre, 'to sit'. the conceptual link is that a military siege involves an army 'sitting down' around a fortified place, effectively blockading it. the modern participle 'besieged' thus carries the sense of being completely surrounded or hemmed in, whether by military forces, people, or persistent difficulties, extending the original literal meaning of encirclement to more figurative contexts of pressure and harassment.
Analysis
Structure: be + siege + d
be- (old english, prefix forming transitive verbs, often with an intensive or completive sense); siege (middle english, from old french sege, meaning 'seat' or 'blockade'); -d (old english, suffix forming the past tense and past participle of weak verbs).
Examples
the castle was besieged for months before the defenders finally surrendered.
after the speech, the politician was besieged by reporters asking for clarification.
she felt besieged by the constant demands of her new job and family responsibilities.