surroundings

British  

/ səˈraʊndɪŋz /

plural noun

1. the conditions, scenery, etc, around a person, place, or thing; environment

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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."

Example Sentences

Donovan has taken full advantage of the home’s surroundings, regularly sharing videos of the garden on his Instagram account, including a January 2023 clip of a flock of robins visiting a birdbath on the grounds.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Peanut cannot smell, but caregivers say that limitation does not appear to be stopping him from adjusting to his new surroundings.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The team hopes to automate this process by adding computer vision and AI systems that can analyze surroundings and adjust the material in real time.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Ms. Lewin is particularly suspicious of Keats House in London’s Hampstead, where the poet lived for less than two years, hardly long enough to leave a material impression on his surroundings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

I look at Autumn, who’s still assessing her surroundings.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• ambience
• atmosphere
• background
• climate
• environment
• environs
• location
• milieu
• mise en scène
• neighborhood
• setting