surroundings
Britishplural noun
Explanation
Your surroundings are the things all around you. When you park your car in a huge lot, paying attention to your surroundings can help you find the car again later. You can use the noun surroundings to mean the nearby environment — all of the objects close by, as well as the location itself — and also the circumstances or conditions where you are. When someone builds a house, the surroundings will help determine which direction it will face and how many windows it will have. Surroundings stems from surround, "be all around," but originally "flood or overflow."
Vocabulary lists containing surroundings
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The process changes the immediate surroundings of metal atoms by modifying their connections to neighboring molecules.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
The spacecraft will use a collection of scientific instruments to examine the asteroid and its surroundings.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
The ceasefire - the longest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 - allowed hundreds of people trapped in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky and its surroundings to be evacuated.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Its buildings, made of limestone, glass, cedar slats and copper, blend with their surroundings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Once again, Jonathan pictured Magpie Island on a map but this time he saw it in context with its surroundings.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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