to constantly trouble or harass someone, or to surround and attack from all sides.
From Old English 'besettan,' combining 'be-' (around) and 'settan' (to set or place). Originally meant to place around or hem in, but evolved to mean persistent harassment or being surrounded by problems.
The word perfectly captures how problems can feel like they're coming at you from every direction—like you're literally surrounded by them. Medieval soldiers used 'beset' to describe enemy forces surrounding a castle, and now we use it for anything that won't leave us alone.
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