surround
Americanverb (used with object)
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surrounds,
present (3rd person singular)
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surrounded,
past participle, past
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surrounding
present participle
noun
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something that surrounds, as the area, border, etc., around an object or central space.
a tile surround for the shower stall.
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environment or setting.
The designer created a Persian surround for the new restaurant.
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Hunting.
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a means of hunting in which wild animals are encircled and chased into a special spot that makes their escape impossible.
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the act of hunting by this means.
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the location encircled by hunters using this means.
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verb
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to encircle or enclose or cause to be encircled or enclosed
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to deploy forces on all sides of (a place or military formation), so preventing access or retreat
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to exist around
I dislike the people who surround her
noun
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a border, esp the area of uncovered floor between the walls of a room and the carpet or around an opening or panel
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a method of capturing wild beasts by encircling the area in which they are believed to be
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the area so encircled
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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surroundsimple
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surroundssimple
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have surroundedperfect
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has surroundedperfect
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am surroundingprogressive
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are surroundingprogressive
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is surroundingprogressive
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have been surroundingperfect progressive
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has been surroundingperfect progressive
Past
-
surroundedsimple
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had surroundedperfect
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was surroundingprogressive
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were surroundingprogressive
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had been surroundingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of surround
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English surounden “to inundate, submerge,” from Anglo-French surounder, Middle French s(o)ronder, from Late Latin superundāre “to overflow,” equivalent to Latin super- super- + undāre “to flood,” derivative of unda “wave” ( see undulate); current spelling by analysis as sur- 1 + round 1 (verb)
Explanation
When you think of the word surround, think of something that's around you on all sides, like the trees that surround you in a forest or the people who surround you on a city street at rush hour. Sometimes surround describes the position of troops that force the enemy to surrender. You can also surround your property with a fence, or surround yourself with positive people. Both of these offer a way to protect or strengthen the thing in the middle — your house or your well-being. In a movie theater that has "surround sound," the audience feels like it is in the middle of the action because of the speakers placed all around the space.
Vocabulary lists containing surround
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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.
See Examples For:
Mountains surround a charming town next to a lake so big its Chinese name is “ear-shaped sea.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
"The owners tried to surround it and catch it, but the bull was having none of it," one eyewitness said.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Their name comes from Greek words meaning "big eaters," reflecting their ability to surround and engulf bacteria, damaged cells, and other unwanted material.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Now questions still surround his campaign about whether he can win over the Black voters who largely rejected him in the primary.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
The blare of trumpets and the rat-a-tat of snare drums surround them.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Poehler, like her Dig character, surrounds herself with younger people who challenge that idea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The researchers concentrated their analysis on mesenteric adipose tissue, which surrounds the intestines.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
The immediate issue surrounds the Uefa licence, which every club needs in order to play in Europe.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The front hallway leads to a family room, where intricate built-in shelving surrounds a grand fireplace—one of four in the home.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
An adoring audience surrounds my carriage, eager to see what I look like, and what I can do.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Jane said she wanted to get married in her home city of Glasgow, surrounded by friends and family, but said her future husband objected to a wedding in Scotland.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
He knows from experience that a person embarking on a first draft is usually a person surrounded by cruel, taunting voices that fan self-doubt and predict failure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026
Some 100 people who arrived were surrounded by police and one of the movement's coordinators, Benjamin Ball, and its spokeswoman, Azelma Sigaux, were apprehended by police, an AFP reporter said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026
Large galaxies such as the Milky Way are surrounded by smaller companions known as satellites.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2026
In another she was surrounded by her aunties.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Months before the scandal surrounding Jensen Huang erupted, a short seller was raising questions about Nvidia’s China business and its CEO’s ties to a major chip buyer.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
The following year, an X-ray revealed that Watanabe’s tailbone was fractured, and bone chips had become lodged in the surrounding soft tissue.
From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026
Climate shifts, changes to the surrounding landscape, and the arrival of invasive species have all altered the conditions in which the forest's plants and animals live.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
Then Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers later said he had been aware of rumours surrounding Grealish's injury absence before the match, which his side won.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
Still living at Castle Doleful, fourteen-year-old Kate was steeped in the morbid gloom surrounding Mary Greeley.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
