besetting 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈse-tiŋ How to pronounce besetting (audio)
Definition of besettingnext
as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge that woman's besetting need to meddle in the affairs of others

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

besetting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of beset
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of besetting
Verb
Rodent infestation and mold are among the many problems besetting the 19th-century estate. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2026 Both mother and daughter reflect on the troubles besetting their own family, as the mother tries to write a novel. — Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 The Leafs needed an NHL player with injuries besetting their blue line. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026 To his sons, however, the Party offers meaning and purpose—a powerful countervailing force to the lack of prospects besetting their generation, which had been decimated by the Great War. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besetting
  1. obsessive
  2. plaguing
  3. attacking
  4. impulsive
  5. afflicting
  6. assaulting
  7. persecuting
  8. raiding
Adjective
  • Generating scholarly tomes at a rate of more than one a year involves obsessive amounts of research.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Yet tailoring is also one of fashion’s great luxuries — an intimate, almost obsessive process of shaping cloth around the body.
    — Tyler Matthew Oyer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of obsessive
Verb
  • This is the latest of a string of thefts plaguing France and Europe more broadly, which have made headlines since thieves broke into the Louvre in October 2025 and were able to get away with much of the country’s remaining crown jewels.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers designed Talon Blue to solve the severe cost overruns and production delays currently plaguing Western militaries.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of plaguing
Verb
  • Murtis of the goddess Durga depict her astride a lion and attacking Mahishasura.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The president appeared to be attacking Andrews, a biological woman, over her alleged support of gender transitions for minors and transgender athletes in women’s sports.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacking
Adjective
  • Low self-control, in contrast, is a core contributing factor to numerous problems, including substance abuse and impulsive buying.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Cage has answered with the impulsive, erratic, and frenzied style now allegorized in Spider-Noir as Reilly’s inner monster.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of impulsive
Verb
  • Singh and Jaggseer, like Beyoncé and Lil Nas X before them, highlight an identity crisis afflicting modern country music.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The work continues and the Frates family has maintained the passion that Pete instilled in them in fighting the disease that is still afflicting far too many people.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflicting
Verb
  • The woman took a photo of the man from a distance, and detectives recognized him as the man suspected of assaulting two women with a traffic cone, police said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple women told police that Weinberg lured them to his home, almost always under the guise of a photo shoot, before restraining and assaulting them.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting
Verb
  • Preventing undesirable baboon behaviour, like raiding food, is easier than trying to tackle it once it’s become engrained.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Turkish authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on the country’s LGBT community on Sunday, raiding gay bars and shutting down activist organizations, in what the government said are efforts to protect Turkey’s family values.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of raiding

Browse Nearby Words

besets
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Cite this Entry

“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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