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Victo Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

Besieged by apoplexy

I heard a flowery phrase. It was either besieged or beseeched by apoplexy.

What does this mean, and what is the correct word -- besieged or beseeched?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

com besiege 1 : to surround with armed forces 2 a : to press with requests : importune b : to cause worry or distress to : beset <doubts besieged him> stroke 5 : sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain -called also apoplexy , brain attack, cerebrovascular accident Hence, besieged by apoplexy = suffering from the effects of having had a stroke, perhaps unable to speak or walk, for example. The word apoplexy is very rare in modern English. The modern term is stroke .

— CalifJim

  • com besiege 1 : to surround with armed forces 2 a : to press with requests : importune b : to cause worry or distress to : beset <doubts besieged him> stroke 5 : sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the brain -called also apoplexy , brain attack, cerebrovascular accident Hence, besieged by apoplexy = suffering from the effects of having had a stroke, perhaps unable to speak or walk, for example.
  • The word apoplexy is very rare in modern English.
  • The modern term is stroke .
  • CJ
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7 Answers
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You might try this dictionary: www.m-w.com

besiege
1 : to surround with armed forces
2 a : to press with requests : importune b : to cause worry or distress to : beset <doubts besieged him>

stroke
5 : sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of a blood vessel of the br
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"beseeched by apoplexy" makes no sense to me.

"besieged by apoplexy" makes some kind of sense I suppose: "besieged" in the sense of "beset", and "apoplexy" either in the medical sense or in the colloquial sense of "extreme anger".

More context might be helpful.
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Literally speaking, that is what it means. However, figuratively, it means to be so irate and incensed that people had better stay out of your way.

Example: When John found out that Steven accidentally knocked over his brand-new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, John was besieged by apoplexy.
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Hi,

besieged or beseeched by apoplexy.

The foremr doesn't sound right to me. The latter is definitely wrong.



I'm trying to think of words that start with bes-.



beset?



Anyway, an uncommon phrase.



Clive
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I've heard of this once before. It is "besieged by apoplexy," and it's a grandiloquent way of saying that one is so mad that s/he is on the verge of having a stroke.
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MFGI've heard of this once before. It is "besieged by apoplexy," and it's a grandiloquent way of saying that one is so mad that s/he is on the verge of having a stroke.
That works for me as a figurative use.

This thread is a good lesson in the fact that without context it's hard to say what a phrase of just a few words might mean.

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WWE chairman of the board Vince McMahon once used this phrase during a wrestling show many years ago so I thought

that I would find out what "besieged with apoplexy" meant.
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