- present participle of surround.
surrounding
Americannoun
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something that surrounds.
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surroundings, environing things, circumstances, conditions, etc.; environment.
He was too sick to be aware of his surroundings.
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the act of encircling or enclosing.
adjective
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enclosing or encircling.
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being the environment or adjacent area.
Synonym Usage
See environment.
Etymology
Origin of surrounding
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: literally “inundation”; see origin at surround, -ing 1, -ing 2
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.
Hope remains, but there is still a degree of caution surrounding this pursuit as a result.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
Some are weighing whether they can continue to function or whether they should be absorbed by the surrounding county.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Investigators did not disclose further details surrounding the cause and manner of her death.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
Skepticism surrounding high levels of AI spending are also flaring up again, Reynolds noted.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
But when an earthquake shakes landfill, it can spell trouble, especially when the surrounding soil is sandy.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
