(transitive, uncommon) To assault or blockade a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition; to besiege.

(military) A prolonged military assault or a blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. / (US) A period of struggle or difficulty, especially from illness.

plural of siege

simple past tense and past participle of siege

present participle of siege

plural of state of siege

A collective feeling of victimization and defensiveness, in which a group of people believe themselves to be constantly attacked, oppressed, or isolated in the face of the negative intentions of the rest of the world.

(law) An exceptional legal condition in which constitutional limits on the powers of the government are suspended, usually owing to military necessity and implying martial law.

present participle of lay siege

(intransitive) Chiefly followed by against or to: to engage in a siege; to besiege. / (intransitive, figuratively) To attack continually over a long period.