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.
Those have AI-computing capabilities but none of the hype surrounding Nvidia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Activated by the hormones of the menstrual cycle, these sores thicken and bleed each month, inflaming and scarring the surrounding tissue.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
"To ensure the safety and well-being of all residents, a mandatory curfew for a half-mile area surrounding Delaney Hall is being implemented, effective immediately," Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
Moreno, once satisfied with being just another suds-loving die-hard, became more involved in player acquisition while surrounding himself with inexperienced general managers who struggled along with him.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
And it must be noted that the surrounding country where they were located was stark desert and not exactly crawling with wildlife.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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.