Surrender — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /sə-ˈren-dər/ sur·ren·der

Meaning & Definition of Surrender

Surrender (verb)

  1. to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand
  2. to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another
  3. to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner

Surrender (noun)

  1. the action of yielding one's person or giving up the possession of something especially into the power of another
  2. the relinquishment by a patentee of rights or claims under a patent
  3. the delivery of a principal into lawful custody by bail —called also surrender by bail

Surrender (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress

    "the toddler surrendered the doll to her mother after a brief struggle"

    "the commander surrendered the garrison without having fired a single shot"

    similar: cede, cough up, deliver, give up, hand over, lay down, relinquish, render, turn in, turn over, yield
    related: commit, consign, entrust, transfer, forfeit, release, waive, abnegate, renounce, resign, abandon, desert, discard, forsake, part (with), shed
    near: keep, retain, withhold

  2. to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)

    "the father refused to surrender to his son's constant begging for a BB gun"

    similar: blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, yield, say uncle, throw in the towel
    related: acquiesce, defer
    opposite: resist
    near: contend, fight, hold off, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand

  3. to give up (as a position of authority) formally

    "the aging queen refused to surrender the throne to her increasingly impatient heir"

    similar: abdicate, abnegate, cede, relinquish, renounce, resign, step aside (from), step down (from)
    related: abjure, demit, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, waive, forsake, give up, hand over, yield, abandon, desert, quit, vacate
    near: appropriate, arrogate, assume, claim, confiscate, seize, take over, usurp, wrest, defend, guard, protect, safeguard, secure

  4. to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)

    "determined to give up smoking, she so far has not surrendered to her incessant desire to have a cigarette"

    similar: bow, cave (in), give in, submit, succumb, yield
    related: cater (to), gratify, indulge, wallow, acquiesce (to), concede (to), buckle (under), knuckle under, give over (to)
    opposite: hold off, resist
    near: battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, fight, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand, reject, bridle, check, constrain, curb, inhibit, restrain, stifle

  5. to yield to the control or power of enemy forces

    "General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, thus ending the Civil War"

    similar: capitulate, fall, give up, knuckle under, submit, succumb
    related: bow, buckle, cave (in), collapse, give (in), hand over, relinquish, lose, concede, fail, fold
    opposite: endure, stand
    near: buck, defy, fight, oppose, repel, resist, withstand, beat, overcome, win, conquer, prevail, triumph

  6. to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly

    "laid-off workers who surrender themselves to despair will almost certainly never regain their footing"

    similar: abandon, deliver, give up, indulge, yield
    related: overdo, overindulge, bask, luxuriate, revel, roll, wallow
    opposite: deny
    near: abstain (from), eschew, forbear, forgo, refrain (from), check, inhibit, restrain

Surrender (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another

    "the police demanded the surrender of all hostages as a condition for allowing the hijackers safe passage out of the country"

    similar: capitulating, capitulation, cession, handover, relinquishment, rendition, submission, submitting
    related: acceptance, acquiescence, concession, compromise, appeasement, conciliation, reconcilement, reconciliation, capture, fall
    near: resistance

Related Entry: Surrender (to) (verb)

Surrender (to) is a different word from Surrender. The synonyms below are for surrender (to), not for surrender.

  1. as in submit (to), defer (to)

    similar: defer (to), submit (to), yield (to), adhere (to), comply (with), conform (to), follow, goose-step (to), mind, obey, observe, accede (to), acquiesce (to), agree (to), assent (to), attend, hear, heed, listen (to), mark, note, notice, regard, take, watch
    opposite: defy, disobey, rebel (against), disoblige, challenge, dare, refuse, renounce, repudiate, direct, lead, brush (off), disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, tune out, wink (at), dismiss, pooh-pooh, shrug off, breach, break, infringe, transgress, violate, deride, flout, mock, scoff (at), scorn, mutiny (against), revolt (against), buck, combat, contest, dispute, fight, oppose, resist, withstand

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Surrender

The most common words with a similar meaning to Surrender:

cede, cough up, deliver, give up, hand over, lay down, relinquish, render, turn in, turn over, yield, blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, abdicate, abnegate, renounce, resign, step aside (from), step down (from), cave (in), fall, abandon, indulge, say uncle, throw in the towel, capitulating, capitulation, cession, handover, relinquishment, rendition

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Surrender

Words with the opposite meaning of Surrender:

resist, hold off, endure, stand, deny

Related Words for Surrender

commit, consign, entrust, transfer, forfeit, release, waive, desert, discard, forsake, part (with), shed, acquiesce, defer, abjure, demit, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, vacate, cater (to), gratify, wallow, acquiesce (to), concede (to), buckle (under), give over (to), buckle, collapse

Near Antonyms of Surrender

keep, retain, withhold, contend, fight, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand, appropriate, arrogate, assume, claim, confiscate, seize, take over, usurp, wrest, defend, guard, protect

Word Forms of Surrender

Inflections: surrendered, surrendering

Origin & Etymology of Surrender

Middle English surrendren, from surrendre, noun

First known use: 15th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Surrender

Words & Phrases Containing Surrender

self-surrender

Frequently Asked Questions about Surrender

What does "Surrender" mean?

"Surrender" means to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Surrender"?

Other words for "Surrender" include cede, cough up, deliver, give up, hand over, lay down, relinquish and render. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Surrender" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Surrender"?

There are 91 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Surrender". Common alternatives include cede, cough up, deliver, give up, hand over, lay down, relinquish, render, turn in and turn over.

What is the opposite of "Surrender"?

Antonyms of "Surrender" include resist, hold off, endure, stand and deny. Near antonyms include keep, retain, withhold and contend.

How do you use "Surrender" in a sentence?

Examples of "Surrender" in a sentence: "the toddler surrendered the doll to her mother after a brief struggle"; "the commander surrendered the garrison without having fired a single shot"; "the father refused to surrender to his son's constant begging for a BB gun".

Is "Surrender" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Surrender" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Surrender" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Surrender" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Surrender"?

"Surrender" is pronounced /sə-ˈren-dər/ and divided into syllables as sur·ren·der.