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beleaguered

Adjective

IPA /bɪˈliːɡəd/

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Meaning in plain English

Facing many problems, pressures or criticisms at once.

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Pronunciation

beleaguered/bɪˈliːɡəd/

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Orders arrive faster than staff can cope
An exhausted manager faces many problems
Complaints and unpaid bills pile up

The beleaguered manager is surrounded by difficulties and criticism.

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The beleaguered shop owner struggled with rising costs and repeated repairs.
The beleaguered project leader asked for extra support.

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The ________ shop owner struggled with rising costs and repeated repairs.

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beleaguered — Facing many problems, pressures or criticisms at once.

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Facing many problems, pressures or criticisms at once.

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Word origin

From Dutch belegeren, meaning to camp around, with the English ending -ed.

Did you know?

Beleaguered also has a literal military meaning: surrounded by an enemy.

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