surrounded

American  

[suh-roun-did] / səˈraʊn dɪd /

adjective

1. (of troops, a fort or town, etc.) encircled or hemmed in by enemies on all sides so as to cut off communication or retreat.

   Only a few of the surrounded infantrymen survived, escaping in the darkness of the early morning.

2. enclosed or shut in on all sides, as by a barrier or border, desert or mountains, etc. (usually used in combination).

   The huge master bedroom features a granite-surrounded whirlpool tub.

   The surrounded parcel of land is provided with road access by a right-of-way through one of the encircling properties.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of surround.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unsurrounded
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of surrounded

First recorded in 1590–1600, for an earlier sense; surround ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; surround ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Explanation

Are there people on every side of you, giving you no way to escape? Then you're surrounded. Sorry to hear it! Being surrounded is one way of being trapped, but it's a trap caused by other people. On TV shows, you'll often hear police officers say to a criminal: "Come out with your hands up. You're surrounded!" If a criminal is surrounded, then the police have every exit covered — there are police on all sides. If you look closely at surrounded, you'll see round in it — just picture that round circle trapping someone in, and you will remember the meaning of surrounded.

Example Sentences

Major League Baseball’s official app, long one of my favorites, has gradually surrounded baseball scores and video with window dressing that has made the app feel heavier.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

Collins explained that Mammoth Mountain is a community surrounded by forests, inhabited by a healthy population of bears, and encouraged residents to be hyperaware, especially if they have pets.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

A palpably animated black-and-white, full-stage photo from 1935—of Graham in her 1931 “Primitive Mysteries” as its ritualistic Virgin figure surrounded by celebrants—resonates with life in comparison to the studio-posed photos in the exhibit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

It broke into an electronics factory, but surprised police who had surrounded the building after reportedly escaping by unlocking a window.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

And also—a little harder to explain—I felt a sort of calm when surrounded by plants, especially ones I’d helped grow.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• ringed