environ

environ — verb

1. to surround something or someone completely, forming a circle or barrier around

1.動詞及物C2
釋義

to surround something or someone completely, forming a circle or barrier around them

例句

Mathieu's cottage was environed by tall pine trees on every side.

passive: be environed by + [natural feature]

A dense bamboo grove environed Devika's garden, giving it complete privacy.

同義詞
  • surround

    the common, everyday equivalent; 'environ' is its formal and literary counterpart

  • encircle

    emphasises the shape of a ring or circle around something

  • encompass

    broader in meaning; can include both physical surrounding and abstract inclusion

  • enclose

    suggests a barrier that closes something in, often with walls or fencing

文法句型

be environed by [something]

environ + [place]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the passive voice (be environed by) in literary or formal writing. Much less common in everyday speech than the synonym 'surround'.

常見錯誤

❌The garden environed the house.
✅The house was environed by the garden.
💡'environ' is almost always used in the passive voice; the active construction sounds unnatural.
❌The crowd environed the singer.
✅The crowd surrounded the singer.
💡for people or crowds, 'surround' is the natural choice; 'environ' is reserved for places, buildings, and landscapes.