surrounded
Americanadjective
-
(of troops, a fort or town, etc.) encircled or hemmed in by enemies on all sides so as to cut off communication or retreat.
Only a few of the surrounded infantrymen survived, escaping in the darkness of the early morning.
-
enclosed or shut in on all sides, as by a barrier or border, desert or mountains, etc. (usually used in combination).
The huge master bedroom features a granite-surrounded whirlpool tub.
The surrounded parcel of land is provided with road access by a right-of-way through one of the encircling properties.
verb
Other Word Forms
- unsurrounded adjective
Etymology
Origin of surrounded
First recorded in 1590–1600, for an earlier sense; surround ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; surround ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
He surrounded himself with advisers and military commanders who kept Iran largely safe from foreign threats.
Having driven up to Llyn Teifi in the Cambrian mountains, we stand on a bridge, surrounded by rocky outcrops and marshland.
From BBC
The main floor of its theater was surrounded by six tiers of seating that held well over a thousand people.
From Literature
It was right in the middle of a beautiful green lawn and was surrounded by large trees.
From Literature
Skinny as I was, I didn’t want to take any chances, so I didn’t go far—just far enough to be surrounded by tall trees where no one from The Village would see me.
From Literature
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.
