beleaguer
/bɪˈli.ɡɚ/verb
beleaguer is spelled B-E-L-E-A-G-U-E-R: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 78 million words in written English, the 279,513th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, beleaguer means “To besiege; to surround with troops” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in beleaguer?
| Letters | 9: B-E-L-E-A-G-U-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 78 million words; the 279,513th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is beleaguer?
Beleaguer appears about once in every 78 million words in written English, the 279,513th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce beleaguer?
- UK /bɪˈliː.ɡə/
- US /bɪˈli.ɡɚ/
- US /biˈli.ɡɚ/
Beleaguer has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-beleaguer.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with beleaguer?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as beleaguer from its last stressed vowel (/iɡəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of beleaguer
- beleaguers present, singular, he/she/it
- beleaguering participle, present
- beleaguered participle, past
- beleagure
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does beleaguer mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To besiege; to surround with troops.
- 2
To vex, harass, or beset.
- 3
To exhaust.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Beleaguer in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | investir, assiéger |
| German | belagern, umzingeln , bedrängen, belästigen, stören |
| Portuguese | sitiar |
| Spanish | sitiar, asediar, cercar , hostigar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does beleaguer come from?
Borrowed from Dutch belegeren and/or Middle Low German belēgeren; equivalent to be- + lair. Compare also German belagern, Danish belejre. The English spelling was perhaps influenced by unrelated league.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).