surrender
/səˈrendə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈrendər/ (ame, ipa) · /sə-ˈren-dər/ (ame, mw) · /sərˈen.dər/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈren.dɚ/ (ame, ipa)
surrender — verb
- surrenderpresent simple I / you / we / they
- surrendershe / she / it
- surrenderedpast simple
- surrendering-ing form
1. to tell an enemy or opponent that you will stop resisting because you cannot win
to tell an enemy or opponent that you will stop resisting because you cannot win, and to place yourself under their control
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.
The robbers surrendered to the police when they saw that the building was surrounded.
Rather than surrender to the enemy, Sofia chose to escape through a hidden tunnel.
The soldiers refused to surrender and fought bravely until the very end of the battle.
- 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
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
2. to allow a strong feeling, desire, or physical state to take control of you inst
to allow a strong feeling, desire, or physical state to take control of you instead of continuing to resist or hold it back
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.
Exhausted after hiking all day, Tendai surrendered to the need to rest under a tree.
Ilan surrendered to his fear and gave the speech with a shaking voice anyway.
Élise surrendered to the warmth of the sun and soon fell asleep on the grass.
- give in to
more common in everyday speech; less formal
- succumb to
more formal; often used for illness, 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
3. to hand over an object, document, or right to someone who demands it because you
to hand over an object, document, or right to someone who demands it because you are required to by law, threat, or official order
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]
Under the peace agreement, Cyrus had to surrender the keys to the old family house.
Wei surrendered his driving licence after being caught driving dangerously three times.
The court ordered Felipe to surrender all the money he had taken from the business.
- 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
- 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
surrender — noun
- surrendersingular
- surrendersplural
1. the moment or action when a person, army, or country officially tells an enemy t
the moment or action when a person, army, or country officially tells an enemy they will not fight anymore and accepts that they have lost
The surrender of the fort marked the end of the long and bloody war.
the surrender + of + [place]: standard noun pattern
General Adisa signed the surrender on a simple wooden table in front of both armies.
The enemy's unconditional surrender brought peace to the region after five terrible years.
News of the enemy's surrender spread quickly through the capital city that morning.
Ravindra described the enemy surrender as the bravest decision their leaders ever made.
- submission
more general; can apply to any authority relationship, not just fighting
- capitulation
more formal; suggests a formal, often written agreement to stop fighting
- resistance
the act of fighting or opposing
- victory
the act of winning a fight or war
文法句型
the surrender + of + [someone/something]
[possessor] + 's + surrender
a surrender + to + [someone/something]
用法筆記
Frequently paired with 'unconditional' to describe surrender without any conditions. The possessive form ('the general's surrender') is common in historical narrative. When referring to a specific instance, it can be countable: 'It was a peaceful surrender.'