surrender

surrender — verb

1. to tell an enemy or opponent that you will stop resisting because you cannot win

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to tell an enemy or opponent that you will stop resisting because you cannot win, and to place yourself under their control

例句

After being surrounded for weeks, the soldiers finally surrendered to the enemy army.

surrender + to + [enemy]: the standard pattern

General Quan surrendered after his troops ran out of food and water.

同義詞
  • give up

    more general; can apply to any activity or goal, not just fighting

  • yield

    more formal; often implies giving way to superior force or argument

  • capitulate

    more formal; suggests a formal, negotiated act of surrender

反義詞
  • resist

    to keep fighting or opposing

  • fight on

    phrasal verb meaning to continue fighting

文法句型

surrender + to + [enemy/opponent]

surrender + oneself + to + [enemy]

用法筆記

Passive forms are common in news and historical reports: 'The city was surrendered without a fight.' The subject is usually a group (army, nation, rebels) rather than an individual acting alone.

常見錯誤

❌The team surrendered the game in the last minute.
✅The team lost the game in the last minute.
💡In sports, use 'lose' or 'give up'; 'surrender' is for military or conflict contexts.
❌He surrendered to go to prison.
✅He surrendered himself to the police.
💡'Surrender' cannot be followed directly by a to-infinitive of purpose.

2. to allow a strong feeling, desire, or physical state to take control of you inst

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to allow a strong feeling, desire, or physical state to take control of you instead of continuing to resist or hold it back

例句

After months of grief, Charlotte finally surrendered to her sadness and let herself cry.

surrender + to + [emotion]: giving in to a feeling

Rin surrendered to the beat of the music and danced without caring who watched.

同義詞
  • give in to

    more common in everyday speech; less formal

  • succumb to

    more formal; often used for illness, pressure, or temptation

反義詞
  • resist

    to fight against a feeling or desire

  • withstand

    to remain strong against pressure or temptation

文法句型

surrender + to + [emotion/experience/desire]

用法筆記

Always followed by to + a noun phrase that names the emotion, desire, or experience. Cannot take a direct object — you surrender TO something, not surrender something.

常見錯誤

❌She surrendered the temptation to eat the cake.
✅She surrendered to the temptation and ate the cake.
💡Use 'surrender to', not 'surrender' as a transitive verb, when giving in to a feeling or desire.

3. to hand over an object, document, or right to someone who demands it because you

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to hand over an object, document, or right to someone who demands it because you are required to by law, threat, or official order

例句

The company was ordered to surrender its financial records to the tax office.

passive: be ordered to surrender [sth] to [authority]

Rachel surrendered her passport at the embassy as part of the visa application process.

surrender + [document] + to + [institution]

同義詞
  • hand over

    less formal; common in everyday speech

  • turn in

    used for documents, tickets, or ID cards; informal

  • relinquish

    more formal; suggests giving up something unwillingly or with regret

反義詞
  • keep

    to continue to hold or possess

  • hold on to

    phrasal verb meaning to keep something

文法句型

surrender + [something] + to + [someone/authority]

用法筆記

The object is typically a physical item (passport, weapon, keys, documents) or an abstract right (territory, control, claim). Frequently used in legal, administrative, and official contexts. The giver is usually in a weaker position and has no real choice.

常見錯誤

❌He surrendered his girlfriend to her parents.
✅He let his girlfriend go back to her parents.
💡'Surrender' is for objects, documents, or rights; use 'let go of' or 'send back' for people in personal relationships.

surrender — noun