surf

1 of 2

noun

1
: the swell of the sea that breaks upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves

surf

2 of 2

verb

surfed; surfing; surfs

intransitive verb

1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan a wide range of offerings for something of interest

transitive verb

: to scan the offerings of (such as television or the Internet) for something of interest
surfer noun

Examples of surf in a Sentence

Noun We could hear the roar of the surf. beachgoers romping in the swirling surf Verb He learned to surf when he was living in California.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Clash: There was a small part in the movie that showed where Maya's long-time mentor/surf partner, Carlos Burle, abandoned her. Jim Clash, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 The islands therefore have a flourishing tourism economy from surf camps and travel agencies that offer foreign surfers guided trips. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
An Italian woman is dead after she was impaled by a swordfish while surfing in Indonesia. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 An Italian surfer died after a swordfish reportedly struck her while surfing off Indonesia's West Sumatra coast. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for surf 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surf was in 1685

Dictionary Entries Near surf

Cite this Entry

“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

surf

1 of 2 noun
1
: waves that break upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves

surf

2 of 2 verb
1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan the offerings of (as television or the Internet) for something of interest

More from Merriam-Webster on surf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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