surround
Americanverb (used with object)
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surrounds,
present (3rd person singular)
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surrounded,
past participle, past
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surrounding
present participle
noun
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something that surrounds, as the area, border, etc., around an object or central space.
a tile surround for the shower stall.
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environment or setting.
The designer created a Persian surround for the new restaurant.
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Hunting.
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a means of hunting in which wild animals are encircled and chased into a special spot that makes their escape impossible.
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the act of hunting by this means.
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the location encircled by hunters using this means.
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verb
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to encircle or enclose or cause to be encircled or enclosed
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to deploy forces on all sides of (a place or military formation), so preventing access or retreat
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to exist around
I dislike the people who surround her
noun
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a border, esp the area of uncovered floor between the walls of a room and the carpet or around an opening or panel
-
-
a method of capturing wild beasts by encircling the area in which they are believed to be
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the area so encircled
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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surroundsimple
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surroundssimple
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have surroundedperfect
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has surroundedperfect
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am surroundingprogressive
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are surroundingprogressive
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is surroundingprogressive
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have been surroundingperfect progressive
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has been surroundingperfect progressive
Past
-
surroundedsimple
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had surroundedperfect
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was surroundingprogressive
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were surroundingprogressive
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had been surroundingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of surround
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English surounden “to inundate, submerge,” from Anglo-French surounder, Middle French s(o)ronder, from Late Latin superundāre “to overflow,” equivalent to Latin super- super- + undāre “to flood,” derivative of unda “wave” ( see undulate); current spelling by analysis as sur- 1 + round 1 (verb)
Explanation
When you think of the word surround, think of something that's around you on all sides, like the trees that surround you in a forest or the people who surround you on a city street at rush hour. Sometimes surround describes the position of troops that force the enemy to surrender. You can also surround your property with a fence, or surround yourself with positive people. Both of these offer a way to protect or strengthen the thing in the middle — your house or your well-being. In a movie theater that has "surround sound," the audience feels like it is in the middle of the action because of the speakers placed all around the space.
Vocabulary lists containing surround
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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.
See Examples For:
These features surround the galaxy's prominent bands of dust, providing a deeper look at the energetic environment hidden within its elegant appearance.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Now questions still surround his campaign about whether he can win over the Black voters who largely rejected him in the primary.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
The idea was to surround the young core with veterans and immediately become competitive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Scientists can use them to obtain information about atmospheric conditions in the region and understand changes in the planet's warmest ocean waters that surround the island - the tropical Pacific and Western Pacific Warm pool.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
If I die weep at my grave every day until a seedling appears in the dirt, then cry on it to make it grow until it becomes a beautiful tree whose roots surround my body.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Myelin is the protective coating that surrounds nerve fibers, helping electrical signals travel efficiently through the brain.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
The front hallway leads to a family room, where intricate built-in shelving surrounds a grand fireplace—one of four in the home.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Greengrass surrounds Garfield with actors who deliver bigger performances, like Jarvis as the brutish but shrewd Tyler, and Bell as the fervent Ball.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The cordon surrounds the scene, which is close to the fishing lake, and two camping tents - one of which is white with a navy blue trim - have been pitched.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
The singing surrounds me before I can come up from my thoughts.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
“It’s a very important, special area within and surrounded by areas that are heavily fished and also heavily burdened by pollution and industrialization,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Reuters news agency reported luxury shops and boutiques were shuttered and surrounded by security guards at the Place Vendome in Paris.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The course is situated on an island in the Potomac River, and is currently surrounded by roads and paths frequently used by bikers, picnickers and for fishing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
These form where magnetic fields penetrate the material, creating small regions surrounded by circulating electrical currents.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
You’re drawn to her half-done painting of the stage, surrounded by trees, fireflies dancing through the air and Cherokee syllabary sprinkled throughout.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The whitewashed building, which has been here since the days of the American Civil War, rises from the surrounding scrub and sits about 200 yards from the Rio Grande river itself.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
By identifying the different crystalline phases within them, the researchers gained information that could help determine how quickly radioactive substances escape into the surrounding environment.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
The report also addresses another fear besetting the market of late which is the funding concerns surrounding neoclouds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The real danger isn’t that Terminators walk the earth stalking human prey, but that the people who really are affected tune out because that is what the language surrounding AI encourages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Through her, the spirits converted dozens of families in the surrounding area.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
