sieged

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "sieged" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when referring to a military action in which an attacking force surrounds a fortress or settlement in order to starve out the defenders until they surrender. For example, "The historic city was sieged by the foreign army for many weeks before it finally surrendered."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

In 1526 they defeated the Hungarians in the Battle of Mohács, and three years later they sieged Vienna unsuccessfully.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Puntland authorities said they had sieged the ship on Dec. 10.

The New York Times

Condemned the government for not declaring war on Iran after the U.S. embassy in Tehran was sieged in 1979.

The Guardian

The legacy of that deadly standoff – in which the FBI sieged a religious group's compound and 76 people died in a fire – loomed heavy in the desert air and on multiple occasions members of the Bundy clan warned the situation "could turn into that".

The Guardian

It set an unexpectedly up-beat tone for Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, who went on to condemn the US government for giving up on the Vietnam War and also for not declaring war on Iran after the US embassy in Tehran was sieged in 1979.

The Guardian

Sieged by Ironborn soldiers, its people were evicted or killed before the town was razed to the ground.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

He suggested that the Muslim communities he knew felt "under siege" – spied on, interrogated, routinely asked to "put their house in order" as if they were not, and had never been, an equal part of British society.

The Guardian

Monckton's men ended up in a heavily forested region now known as the eastern Canadian province of New Brunswick where, following a two-week siege, they captured an area previously controlled by French Acadian settlers.

The Guardian - Sport

Tony Abbott referred to Muslims a number of times in his speech on Monday, and he referred to the Lindt café siege in Sydney.

The Guardian - Opinion

So it turns out Paul Whittaker is not to blame for the Daily Telegraph's much-maligned late-afternoon edition on the day of the siege.

The Guardian

The editor of the Tele was on leave on Monday while critics were blaming him for the "IS takes 13 hostages in city cafe siege".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sieged" when you want to specifically denote the action of surrounding a place with military force in the past. Ensure the context clearly implies a military or strategic encirclement.

Common error

Avoid using "sieged" when a more general term like "attacked" or "surrounded" is more appropriate. "Sieged" carries a specific connotation of a prolonged military encirclement.

Linguistic Context

Sieged functions as the past tense form of the verb "siege", denoting the act of surrounding a fortified place with hostile forces. Ludwig's examples showcase its use in historical and contemporary contexts, describing specific instances of military encirclement. Ludwig AI confirms it's grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Encyclopedias

17%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sieged" is the grammatically correct past tense of the verb "siege", used to describe the act of surrounding a place with military force. While less common than alternatives like "besieged", it is a valid and understandable term, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. Ludwig examples show that "sieged" appears primarily in news reports, encyclopedias, and other similar texts. It effectively conveys the idea of a deliberate and strategic encirclement for military purposes. Therefore, while perhaps not the most frequently used word, "sieged" remains a useful part of the English vocabulary for describing past military events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

besieged

Synonym indicating an encirclement with military force.

laid siege to

Uses a more common idiomatic expression instead of the simple past tense.

invested

Indicates a military blockade or siege.

beleaguered

Suggests being under pressure or attack from multiple sides.

blockaded

Focuses on cutting off access rather than direct attack.

encircled

Highlights the act of surrounding without necessarily implying an attack.

surrounded

A general term for being enclosed on all sides.

attacked

A more general term for initiating hostilities.

stormed

Implies a forceful, direct assault.

assaulted

Similar to stormed but can also refer to a verbal attack.

FAQs

How is "sieged" used in a sentence?

"Sieged" is used as the past tense of the verb "siege", indicating that a place was surrounded by an army. For instance, "The castle was "sieged" for months before it finally fell."

What words are similar to "sieged"?

Alternatives to "sieged" include "besieged", "blockaded", or "surrounded", each carrying slightly different connotations of encirclement or attack.

Is it correct to say "the city was sieged"?

Yes, "the city was sieged" is grammatically correct. It means that the city was subjected to a siege, meaning it was surrounded by enemy forces.

What's the difference between "sieged" and "besieged"?

While both "sieged" and "besieged" refer to surrounding a place with military force, "besieged" is more commonly used. "Sieged" is a less frequent, but still valid, alternative.