hostile surrounding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hostile surrounding" is not correct in standard English; it should be "hostile surroundings." You can use it to describe an environment that is unfriendly or threatening.
Example: "The soldiers found themselves in a hostile surroundings, making their mission even more challenging."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The men have tried to go off the reserve by boat to purchase meat from the now extremely hostile surrounding towns.

The New York Times

His opinion reflected Czech society's idea of these two composers: to make political use of their fame (to display pride "in the face of the hostile surrounding world"), it had pulled together the scraps of folklore to be found in the music and stitched them into a national banner to fly above the work.

The New Yorker

Thanks to this consensus building strategy they managed to defy the dictates of the hostile surrounding geography.

Huffington Post

This rests on the assumption that long exposures to violent stricken environments impact the personal behavior as individuals adapt to the hostile surrounding.

Conflict and Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The sense of vast forests full of hostile tribes surrounding a few undamaged coastal settlements is palpable.

The New Yorker

After his trial, Sheppard retained Bailey to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court where in 1966 he won a retrial because of the media frenzy and hostile coverage surrounding his trial.

The Washington Post

He accepts it, but he prefers to be alone, fishing, walking his dogs, driving his fast cars…" Despite the generally hostile climate surrounding his profession, José Tomás has been making friends in unlikely places.

The Guardian

With civil war spreading from the Vendée and hostile armies surrounding France on all sides, the Revolutionary government decided to make "Terror" the order of the day (September 5 decree) and to take harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution (nobles, priests, hoarders).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Gun trucks sat pointed at the hostile desert surrounding us.

Vice

Galatasaray had a reputation of a creating a hostile atmosphere surrounding their home matches and Leeds travelled there aiming to reach the UEFA Cup Final in order to win in their last chance of silverware of their season.

Wikipedia

Armed Jamaican soldiers were necessary to escort the team past the hostile crowd surrounding the hospital.

Critical Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for established phrases like "hostile environment" or "threatening surroundings" for clarity and wider acceptance.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "hostile surrounding" in formal writing. While understandable, it's not considered standard English. Instead, use the more accepted term "hostile environment".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hostile surrounding" functions as an adjective-noun combination intended to describe a threatening or unfriendly environment. However, as Ludwig AI indicates, this particular phrasing is not considered standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

12.5%

Less common in

Wiki

12.5%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "hostile surrounding" is understandable, it's not grammatically correct. Ludwig AI indicates this is not standard English. It's better to use "hostile surroundings" or, more commonly, "hostile environment". Though it appears in various contexts such as news, science and encyclopedias, its usage is infrequent and less authoritative. For clarity and wider acceptance, established phrases are always a better choice. Therefore, always consider opting for alternatives for formal context, such as "threatening environment" or "adverse conditions" depending on the specific connotation needed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hostile environment

Replaces the noun "surrounding" with "environment" providing a more standard and commonly used phrasing.

threatening surroundings

Substitutes "hostile" with "threatening", emphasizing the potential for danger.

unfriendly environment

Replaces "hostile" with "unfriendly", softening the tone to suggest a lack of warmth rather than outright antagonism.

adverse conditions

Shifts the focus to the challenging nature of the circumstances, rather than the animosity of the environment.

dangerous vicinity

Emphasizes the immediate area as being perilous or unsafe.

inhospitable terrain

Focuses on the uninviting or barren nature of the land or area.

combative atmosphere

Highlights the tension and readiness for conflict present in the setting.

aggressive milieu

Uses a more formal term, "milieu", to describe an environment characterized by aggression.

belligerent setting

Implies a state of near-war or readiness for conflict within the environment.

contentious backdrop

Suggests that the environment is characterized by argument and disagreement.

FAQs

Is "hostile surrounding" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "hostile surrounding" is not considered standard English. It's better to use "hostile surroundings" or "hostile environment".

What's a more formal alternative to "hostile surrounding"?

A more formal alternative is "adverse conditions" or "inhospitable terrain", depending on the specific context you want to convey.

How can I use "hostile environment" in a sentence?

You can use "hostile environment" to describe a workplace, region, or situation characterized by conflict or antagonism. For example, "The company fostered a hostile environment for its employees."

What's the difference between "hostile surrounding" and "hostile surroundings"?

"Hostile surrounding" is not grammatically correct. The proper phrase is "hostile surroundings", using the plural form of "surrounding" to refer to the environment.