Word
beset
Phoneticsbe·set, stress on the second syllable
US/bɪˈsɛt/
UK/bɪsˈɛt/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
beset
Past
beset
Past participle
beset
Definition
v. to cause someone or something to have a lot of problems or difficulties. It often describes a situation where trouble seems to come from every side.
v. to trouble or harass persistently; to surround or hem in with problems. Often used in the passive voice to describe a subject overwhelmed by challenges.
Examples
“The project is beset by many technical problems.”
“The small island nation was beset by economic instability and rising sea levels throughout the decade.”
“Even the most promising startups can find themselves beset by unforeseen regulatory hurdles and aggressive competition from established industry giants.”
Examples
simple
“The project is beset by many technical problems.”
contextual
“The small island nation was beset by economic instability and rising sea levels throughout the decade.”
complex
“Even the most promising startups can find themselves beset by unforeseen regulatory hurdles and aggressive competition from established industry giants.”
Usage
Commonly used in the passive form 'to be beset by' or 'to be beset with'.
Pitfall
The team was beset from many problems.
The team was beset by many problems.
Beset is typically followed by the prepositions 'by' or 'with', not 'from'.
Real-World Examples
“In recent months, however, the party has tumbled, beset by questions over his tax affairs , a public spat with the police after the Golders Green attack and the recent row over Zionism.” “Photograph: A film by Charles Burnett/Milestone Films My Brother’s Wedding was beset with production problems that limited the film’s release.” “Beset with problems, it could not be effectively scaled up , the British government concluded.” “A six-part supernatural thriller forged from industrial-grade bunkum, Below is set in Snook’s Arm, a struggling Newfoundland fishing community beset by an ancient, unknowable evil.” Etymology
From Middle English besetten, bisetten (“to besiege, blockade; to fill, occupy; to harass, beset; to allot, bestow; to arrange, manage; to place, set; to provide for; to treat in a certain way”), from Old English besettan, bisettan (“to surround, beset; to set near; etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic bisattjan, from Proto-Germanic bisatjaną (“to fill, occupy”), from bi- (prefix meaning ‘at; by’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁epi (“at; near; on”)) + satjaną (“to place down, set”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sed- (“to sit”)). By surface analysis, be- (prefix meaning ‘around; by, close to, near, next to’) + set. cognates * Danish besætte (“to occupy; obsess”) * Dutch bezetten (“to sit in; occupy; fill”) * German besetzen (“to seize; occupy; garrison”) * German Low German besetten (“to occupy”) * Saterland Frisian besätte (“to occupy”) * Swedish besätta (“to fill; occupy; beset”) * West Frisian besette (“to occupy”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 1
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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