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.
"This is a tragic incident for everyone involved," Burns said, urging people to "continue to enjoy our beautiful coastline and be aware of your surroundings".
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
Researchers believe this strange asymmetry could be caused by active processes within the system, such as fresh material falling into the disk or interactions with nearby surroundings.
From Science Daily • May 12, 2026
At Rise Bagels in Irvine, Calif., owner John Park draws from both his Korean heritage and his Orange County surroundings.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
It showed penguins, fur seals and polar bears attempting to adapt to their ever-changing surroundings, against the backdrop of glaciers and arctic volcanoes.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
On-screen, Bruno’s surroundings brighten to signify the beginning of a new day.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
