surround

1 of 2

verb

sur·​round sə-ˈrau̇nd 

surrounded; surrounding; surrounds

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to enclose on all sides : envelop

the crowd surrounded her

(2)

: to enclose so as to cut off communication or retreat : invest entry 2

b

: to form or be a member of the entourage of

flatterers who surround the king

c

: to constitute part of the environment of

surrounded by poverty

d

: to extend around the margin or edge of : encircle

a wall surrounds the old city

2

: to cause to be surrounded by something

surrounded himself with friends

surround

2 of 2

noun

: something (such as a border or ambient environment) that surrounds

from urban centre to rural surround

—Emrys Jones

Synonyms

Verb

• circle
• compass
• embrace
• encircle
• enclose
• inclose
• encompass
• environ
• gird
• girdle
• ring
• wreathe

Noun

• ambient
• atmosphere
• climate
• clime
• context
• contexture
• environment
• environs
• medium
• milieu
• mise-en-scène
• setting
• surroundings
• terrain

Examples of surround in a Sentence

Verb

A wall surrounds the old city.

They had the suspect surrounded.

She was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of excited fans.

There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the decision.

His departure was surrounded by secrecy.

Noun

the vast, featureless surround of the desert was strangely appealing to him

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Police vehicles barricaded the streets surrounding the monument, with a flashing sea of blue lights nearby. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

Pay attention to what matters, surround yourself with those heading down a similar path and make a point to fulfill your dreams, hopes and wishes for a brighter future. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024

Noun

The form of King’s book is like an intricate collage, gathering very different characters with the goal of concentrating on the surround, the context. —Jan Swafford, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024

Experts warn that the number of cases recorded are a fraction of what may be the real number, in a deeply patriarchal country where shame and stigma surround rape victims and their families and where cases face delays and backlogs in court, denying victims justice or closure. —Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to flood, inundate, from Anglo-French surunder, from Late Latin superundare, to overflow, from Latin super- + unda wave; influenced in meaning by round entry 5 — more at water

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing surround

• surround oneself with (someone or something)
• surround sound

Kids Definition

surround

1 of 2 verb

sur·​round sə-ˈrau̇nd 

: to enclose on all sides : encircle

surround

2 of 2 noun

: something (as a border) that surrounds