Beleaguering

/bɪˈliːɡərɪŋ/ adjective, verb

Definition

The act of besieging or harassing (as a verb form), or persistently troublesome (as an adjective).

Etymology

Present participle of 'beleaguer,' formed by adding '-ing' to the base verb. Can function as a verb form describing ongoing action or as an adjective describing something that continuously troubles.

Kelly Says

The '-ing' form is one of English's most versatile tools—the same word can describe an action happening right now or a lasting quality, which is why we can talk about both 'beleaguering armies' and 'beleaguering problems.'

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