surrounding

UK: /səˈraʊndɪŋ/ US: /səˈraʊndɪŋ/ ,(sə roun′ding)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•round•ing /səˈraʊndɪŋ/   n. 

1. [countable] something that surrounds.
2. surroundings, [plural] things, circumstances, conditions, etc., that form one's environment:
   In such surroundings, how could he hope to live a normal life?

adj. [before a noun]

3. enclosing or encircling:
   snow in the city and the surrounding suburbs.

Synonyms

See environment.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•round•ing  (sə roun′ding), n. 

1. something that surrounds.
2. surroundings, environing things, circumstances, conditions, etc.;
   environment:
   He was too sick to be aware of his surroundings.
3. the act of encircling or enclosing.

adj. 

4. enclosing or encircling.
5. being the environment or adjacent area.

• 1400–50; late Middle English: inundation; see surround, -ing¹, -ing²

Synonyms

• 2. . See environment. 

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•round /səˈraʊnd/   v. [~ + object]

1. to enclose on all sides;
   encircle:
   The presidential candidate was surrounded by admirers.
2. to enclose so as to cut off communication or retreat:
   The troops surrounded the village.
3. to exist around or accompany;
   attend:
   An aura of mystery surrounds her.
4. to cause to be enclosed, encircled, or attended:
   He surrounded himself with friends.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sur•round  (sə round′), v.t. 

1. to enclose on all sides;
   encompass:
   She was surrounded by reporters.
2. to form an enclosure round;
   encircle:
   A stone wall surrounds the estate.
3. to enclose (a body of troops, a fort or town, etc.) so as to cut off communication or retreat.

n. 

4. Architecture something that surrounds, as the area, border, etc., around an object or central space:
   a tile surround for the shower stall.
5. environment or setting:
   The designer created a Persian surround for the new restaurant.
6. Sport [Hunting.]
   • a means of hunting in which wild animals are encircled and chased into a special spot that makes their escape impossible.
   • the act of hunting by this means.
   • the location encircled by hunters using this means.

• Late Latin superundāre to overflow, equivalent. to Latin super- super- + undāre to flood, derivative of unda wave (see undulate); current spelling, spelled by analysis as sur-¹ + round¹ (verb, verbal)
• Anglo-French surounder, Middle French s(o)ronder
• late Middle English surounden to inundate, submerge 1400–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

surround / səˈraʊnd/ verb (transitive)

1. to encircle or enclose or cause to be encircled or enclosed
2. to deploy forces on all sides of (a place or military formation), so preventing access or retreat
3. to exist around: I dislike the people who surround her

noun

1. a border, esp the area of uncovered floor between the walls of a room and the carpet or around an opening or panel
2. a method of capturing wild beasts by encircling the area in which they are believed to be
3. the area so encircled

Etymology: 15th Century surrounden to overflow, from Old French suronder, from Late Latin superundāre, from Latin super- + undāre to abound, from unda a wave

surˈrounding adjective