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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besetting
  1. obsessive
  2. attacking
  3. impulsive
  4. afflicting
  5. assaulting
  6. striking
  7. robbing
Adjective
  • In other words, if a team hones in on an almost obsessive drive to improve, the outcomes will take care of themselves.
    Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2024
  • This gloriously obsessive enterprise could only originate from the enthusiastic fervor of a fan — which Sean very much is.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Definition of obsessive
Verb
  • The moves sparked a wave of opprobrium from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which accused Israel of attacking Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • It was inspired by the Central Park Five, the name given to the Black and Latino teen-agers who in 1989 were wrongly accused of attacking and raping a white woman in Central Park.
    Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of attacking
Adjective
  • Does the child make impulsive decisions that might be regretted later?
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
  • One league source wouldn’t put the Bears anywhere near the same level of deterrence as the New York Jets, whose owner, Woody Johnson, has a reputation for being impulsive and volatile.
    Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of impulsive
Verb
  • Maylia and Jack are both kids, two of the untold number of minors caught up in one side or the other of the burgeoning fentanyl trade afflicting the US.
    Longreads, Longreads, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Whatever's afflicting you out there, in here the coffee is always hot, the fries are always crispy and the ranch dip is always free.
    Tyler Buchanan, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
Definition of afflicting
Verb
  • The Alexanders also procured drugs, including GHB and cocaine, and would sometimes spike women's drinks before assaulting them, the indictment said.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2024
  • He was also convicted of assaulting a child over an eight-year period between 2010 and 2018.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • Last year’s winner was an image of a female western gray kangaroo striking an air guitar pose, taken by photographer Jason Moore early one morning in a wildflower field in the suburbs of Perth, Australia.
    Jack Guy, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
  • To give a sense of scale, the researchers produced an image of all that plastic waste if it were piled atop Manhattan, and the image is striking.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of striking
Verb
  • Rebels have continuously celebrated their victory by robbing the Syrian Central Bank, sacking the Syrian presidential palace, and firing guns into the air.
    Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Arrest documents say Young denied robbing anyone and requested an attorney.
    Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of robbing
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near besetting

besets

besetting

beshrew

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on besetting

Nglish: Translation of besetting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of besetting for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...