siege

1 of 2

noun

ˈsēj 

 also  ˈsēzh

1

a

: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender

b

: a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)

2

obsolete : a seat of distinction : throne

siege

2 of 2

verb

sieged; sieging

transitive verb

: to lay siege to : to attack militarily : besiege

Insurgents rampaged through the countryside, sacked haciendas and mills, occupied small towns, and sieged the largest cities, Cusco and La Paz.

—Sergio Serulnikov

Phrases

lay siege to

1

: to besiege militarily

2

: to pursue diligently or persistently

Synonyms

Noun

• access
• attack
• bout
• case
• fit
• seizure
• spell
• turn

Examples of siege in a Sentence

Noun

The castle was built to withstand a siege.

The city is in a state of siege.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But Israel was supported by the international powers, especially the U.S., and continues this aggression and this siege on Gaza. —David Remnick, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2024

Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and its siege of the enclave has created a humanitarian catastrophe. —Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post, 23 July 2024

Verb

Police then began negotiations with other people in the home before authorities eventually sieged the house with armored vehicles. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 1 May 2024

While the attempt to siege the Capitol on Jan. 6. was foiled, the attack -- and the subsequent attempt to recast the narrative in the intervening months -- did not come without consequences, according to political scientist William Howell. —Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sege, from Anglo-French, seat, blockade, from Old French *siegier to seat, settle, from Vulgar Latin *sedicare, from Latin sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing siege

• lay siege to
• siege mentality
• under siege

Kids Definition

siege

noun

ˈsēj 

1

: the placing of an army around a fortified place or city to force it to surrender

2

: a lasting attack (as of illness)