beleaguer
7 synonyms for beleaguer, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To surround a place with an army in order to attack it.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Borrowed from Dutch belegeren and/or Middle Low German belēgeren; equivalent to be- + lair. Compare also German belagern, Danish belejre. The English spelling was perhaps influenced by unrelated league.
Full origin of beleaguer →