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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The weather service issued a a high surf advisory that was extended through 11 a.m. Saturday, and a coastal flood advisory along much of the Bay coastline, set to run through 1 p.m. Sunday. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 The National Weather Service has issued a gale warning and high surf advisory across the coast in Northern California, calling the ocean conditions hazardous, especially for inexperienced mariners and those operating small vessels. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
In an encounter off the coast of Maui, a 61-year-old local man narrowly escaped with his life after being attacked by a shark while surfing on Friday morning. Tom Howarth follow, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Even so, 14 attorneys general across the United States last month sued TikTok in part over the proliferation of dangerous viral challenges, and some families of teens killed while surfing subway cars also have sued social platforms. Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for surf 

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 26 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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