surrender

The word “surrender” means to stop fighting or resisting and give oneself up to an opponent. In plain terms, to stop resisting and give something (or yourself) up.

“Surrender” is pronounced suh-REHN-duh (/səˈɹɛndə(ɹ)/ in IPA).

Here is “surrender” used in a sentence: “The garrison surrendered after weeks under siege.”

Words with a similar meaning to “surrender” include abandon, bend, capitulate, cave in, cede and deplore.

The opposite of “surrender” — its antonyms — are brave, control, defeat, dominate and persevere.

Depending on how it is used, “surrender” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “surrender” comes from Old French. From Old French surrendre, from sur- ("up, over") + rendre ("to give back, render").

“Surrender” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

Both mean to stop fighting or resisting and give in to an opponent, but capitulate is more formal and is used mainly of armies, governments, or organizations, often implying agreed terms of defeat. Surrender is the everyday word and covers everything from a battlefield defeat to reluctantly giving up possession of something.

Give up is the informal, conversational phrase, while surrender is more formal and suggests yielding to an opponent or authority. You might give up on a crossword, but soldiers surrender to an enemy and suspects surrender to the police.

Both patterns are correct but mean different things. You surrender something when you give up possession of it, as in "he surrendered his passport," and you surrender to someone or something when you stop resisting, as in "the rebels surrendered to the army."

Usually it implies defeat or a reluctant loss, but not always. In legal and administrative English, surrendering a passport, lease, or license is neutral, routine wording for formally handing something over rather than an admission of failure.