surround
gb/sɚˈaʊnd/ us/sɚˈaʊnd/
A2
English
~ 2000
körülvesz, keret, szegély, körülzár, bekerít
VERB
A2
1
körülvesz
B1
Usage pattern:
to surround [someone/something]
Tall mountains surround the small village.
Magas hegyek veszik körül a kis falut.
A group of reporters surrounded the actor as he left the theater.
Riporterek csoportja vette körül a színészt, amikor kilépett a színházból.
Soldiers surrounded the enemy camp during the night.
The garden is surrounded by a white picket fence.
Learner examples
Trees surround the house.
Fák veszik körül a házat.
Police surround the bank.
Rendőrök veszik körül a bankot.
Mountains surround the city.
A fence surrounds the yard.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'surround' with 'cover'; 'surround' means to be on all sides, not just on top.
Meaning
To be on all sides of
Collocations
surround area
|surround a building
|trees surround
|police surround
|surround completely
Synonyms
enclose (Implies being fully closed in, often physically.)
|
encircle (Often used for a circular or ring-like surrounding.)
Antonyms
expose (Leaves something open and unprotected instead of enclosing it.)
Themes
daily life
|environment
|military
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be all around someone or something.
To be present all around a person or thing, enclosing it from every side.
NOUN
B1
2
The marble fireplace surround gave the room a classic look.
A márvány kandallókeret klasszikus jelleget adott a szobának.
We replaced the old wooden surround with a modern metal one.
A régi fakeretet egy modern fémkeretre cseréltük.
The door surround was painted white to match the windows.
Learner examples
The fireplace has a stone surround.
A kandallónak kőkerete van.
They built a wooden surround for the mirror.
Fakeretet készítettek a tükörnek.
We painted the door surround blue.
Meaning
Bordering area or frame
Collocations
fireplace surround
|stone surround
|wooden surround
Synonyms
frame (A structure that encloses, especially for support or decoration.)
Antonyms
center (The middle part of something, opposite to its border.)
Themes
home
|design
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
|housing
Definition
A thing or area that goes around something else.
An edge or border that goes around something, often decorative or protective.
VERB
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to surround [someone/something] to prevent escape
Police surrounded the building before entering.
A rendőrség körülzárta az épületet, mielőtt bement.
Protesters surrounded the car, blocking its path.
A tüntetők körülvették az autót, elállva az útját.
The army surrounded the city within hours.
Learner examples
Police surround the house to catch the thief.
A rendőrök körülzárják a házat, hogy elkapják a tolvajt.
Soldiers surround the fort.
A katonák körülzárják az erődöt.
Fans surround the singer at the airport.
Meaning
To encircle to prevent escape
Collocations
surround and capture
|surround the suspect
|troops surround
Synonyms
besiege (Often used in military contexts for prolonged surrounding of a place.)
Antonyms
release (Letting go or allowing freedom instead of enclosing.)
Themes
military
|law enforcement
|law
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To go all around someone or something so they cannot get away.
To position people or things on all sides of someone or something to stop them from escaping or moving freely.
Grammar
Dictionary form
surround
IPA
GB/sɚˈaʊnd/
US/sɚˈaʊnd/
Syllables & stress
sur - round (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sur)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: surround
- 3rd Person Singular: surrounds
- Present Participle: surrounding
- Past: surrounded
Word family
Forms
surrounds
verb
surrounding
verb
surrounded
verb
Core family
surroundings
noun B1
Expressions
be surrounded by
1/bˈi sɚˈaʊndɪd bˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
To have all sides enclosed by something
To have people or things all around you.
Examples
- She was surrounded by friends at her birthday party.
- The cabin is surrounded by tall pine trees.
surround yourself with
1/sɚˈaʊnd jʊɹsˈɛlf wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
To keep certain company or environment close
To choose people or things to be near you often.
Examples
- Surround yourself with positive people who inspire you.
- He surrounds himself with books and art.