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What is another word for besetting?

Need synonyms for besetting? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

Adjective

Resulting from or acting from a compulsion

Too powerful or intense to be resisted

Passionately motivated to achieve one's goals

Present participle for to cause anguish or distress to

Present participle for to physically surround or enclose, typically in a hostile manner

Present participle for to take violent or aggressive action against

Present participle for to overwhelm with an excessive amount of something

Present participle for to put down or control by cruelty or force

Present participle for to persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats

Present participle for to fill or permeate, especially with something undesirable

Present participle for to be preoccupied with a single thought, topic or emotion

Present participle for to confound or perplex someone

… more ▼

Adjective

▲

Resulting from or acting from a compulsion

“His besetting need for absolution and expiation drove him to increase his penances and almsgiving.”

Adjective

▲

Too powerful or intense to be resisted

paralyzing^US

paralysing^UK

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Passionately motivated to achieve one's goals

galvanised^UK

galvanized^US

full of determination

intensely competitive

stop at nothing

high-pressure

having killer instinct

meaning what one says

more ❯

Verb

▲

Present participle for to cause anguish or distress to

bedeviling^US

bedevilling^UK

agonising^UK

agonizing^US

putting the squeeze on

giving a hard time

giving a bad time

giving the business

jumping on one's case

victimizing^US

inflicting anguish on

victimising^UK

bending someone's ear

tantalizing^US

tantalising^UK

laboring^US

labouring^UK

terrorizing^US

belabouring^UK

terrorising^UK

tyrannizing^US

belaboring^US

upsetting the applecart

putting someone's nose out of joint

causing discomfort to

causing concern to

playing cat and mouse

putting through wringer

rubbing salt in wound

harping on at

preoccupying

preying on your mind

tyrannising^UK

discriminating against

egging on

bumming out

inflicting pain on

inflicting suffering on

rubbing up the wrong way

getting on your nerves

breathing down someone's neck

carping at

making somebody's hackles rise

brutalizing^US

breaking the heart of

brutalising^UK

hurting somebody's feelings

giving someone the works

working over

giving someone the blues

making someone scratch their head

putting on the rack

knocking the wind out of

dashing the hopes of

pushing buttons

harshing one's mellow

causing someone distress

taking the heart out of

making severe demands on

pushing the buttons of

making someone fed up

harshing someone's mellow

pouring cold water on

throwing cold water on

bringing tears to your eyes

knocking for six

knocking the stuffing out of

bearing down

breaking someone's heart

giving someone the hump

making someone see red

making your gorge rise

grossing out

making someone want to throw up

turning stomach

making someone feel nauseous

rankling with

getting your back up

getting under your skin

causing to feel mental strain

causing to feel emotional strain

dampening the spirits of

making someone suffer

taking the wind out of your sails

causing to lose heart

more ❯

“My disturbing dreams and pseudomemories still beset me with unabated force.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to physically surround or enclose, typically in a hostile manner

coming at from all sides

forming a ring around

forming a barrier round

forming a barrier around

jailing^US

gaoling^UK

setting the limits of

setting the boundaries of

setting out

more ❯

“Swarms of biting insects would beset me to add to my torment.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to take violent or aggressive action against

launching an attack on

letting someone have it

attempting to capture

belabouring^UK

belaboring^US

making an onslaught on

terrorizing^US

terrorising^UK

quarrelling^UK

quarreling^US

giving someone a beating

springing on

going after

rushing upon

beating the living daylights out of

lunging at

peppering

conducting an offensive on

beginning hostilities

pummelling^UK

firing a broadside at

assaulting physically

more ❯

“The King afterwards sent an army to Durham, and allowed it to beset the castle.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to overwhelm with an excessive amount of something

more ❯

Verb

▲

Present participle for to put down or control by cruelty or force

Verb

▲

Present participle for to persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats

terrorising^UK

terrorizing^US

bringing pressure to bear on

putting the squeeze on

putting the screws on

putting under an obligation

making an offer they can't refuse

having someone do something

using strong-arm tactics on

twisting someone's arm

tyrannizing^US

tyrannising^UK

riding roughshod over

tightening the screws on

lording it over

throwing your weight around

breathing down someone's neck

dragooning into

ruling

browbeating into

turning the screws on

leaving someone no option

putting through the wringer

kicking

working over

holding a gun to one's head

tightening the screw on

turning the screw on

bringing force to bear on

pressurizing into

coercing into

putting the screws to

exerting influence on

leaving someone no option but to

bringing pressure to bear upon

telling someone what to do

scaring the bejesus out of

ruling with a rod of iron

ruling with an iron hand

more ❯

Verb

▲

Present participle for to fill or permeate, especially with something undesirable

colouring^UK

coloring^US

more ❯

Verb

▲

Present participle for to be preoccupied with a single thought, topic or emotion

Verb

▲

Present participle for to confound or perplex someone

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What is another word for besetting?

Need synonyms for besetting? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Related Words and Phrases

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