What does besetting mean?
"Besetting" is an adjective describing something that habitually troubles, tempts, or afflicts a person — a persistent failing that recurs despite efforts to resist it. By far its most familiar use is in the set phrase "besetting sin", which denotes a characteristic weakness or vice to which an individual is particularly prone; writers also speak of a "besetting problem" or "besetting fear". The word derives from the verb "beset", meaning to surround or assail on all sides, so calling something besetting suggests it besieges a person again and again. The register is formal and slightly literary, with a moral or self-critical connotation inherited from centuries of religious and ethical writing, where identifying one's besetting sin was a standard exercise in spiritual discipline. In contemporary prose it retains this flavor, lending gravity and a touch of old-fashioned earnestness to discussions of human frailty.
adjectiveHabitually attacking, troubling, or assailing someone; constantly present and hard to resist or escape. Most commonly used in the phrase 'besetting sin', meaning a fault or weakness to which a person is especially prone.
- (of a fault, temptation, or problem) habitually assailing or afflicting someone; chronic and difficult to overcome.
"Procrastination proved to be his besetting weakness throughout his career."
"Pride remained the cardinal's besetting sin despite years of self-examination."
"The committee identified bureaucratic delay as the department's besetting problem."
The phrase 'besetting sin' has been a staple of moral writing for centuries — it's the one flaw you can't seem to shake, no matter how hard you try.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of besetting
"Besetting" is the adjectival form of "beset", a verb formed in Middle English from the prefix "be-" plus "set", ultimately deriving from Old English "settan" (to set, place), which traces back to Proto-Germanic roots shared by modern "set", "settle", and "seat". The verb originally meant to set around or surround, hence to hem in or assail from every side. Its figurative application to recurring sins and temptations became established in English moral and religious writing, giving rise to the enduring phrase "besetting sin".
Related word forms
How besetting is actually used
Largely formal and somewhat literary in modern usage; outside fixed phrases like 'besetting sin' it can sound old-fashioned or moralizing. It appears almost exclusively attributively (before a noun) rather than predicatively.
Easily confused with besetting
'Beset' is the verb meaning to attack or trouble from all sides, while 'besetting' is its adjectival form describing something that habitually troubles a person.