surf

1 of 2

noun

ˈsərf 

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

Synonyms of surf

Noun

• foam

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

Nowadays, the brand's socials are loaded with more photos of mountain bikes, ski goggles and foaming surf than camper vans or motorhomes. —C.c. Weiss may 05, New Atlas, 5 May 2026

In February of 2017, the British business magnate Richard Branson posted photos of Obama learning to kite surf off Branson’s private island, in the Caribbean. —Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Verb

There’s nothing more OB than an afternoon of skating, surfing and chowing down on a Hodad’s cheeseburger. —Tony Le Calvez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

Her activities of choice are perusing Pinterest and surfing YouTube Shorts—essentially a high-latency TikTok. —Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing surf

• crowd-surf
• surf and turf
• surf casting
• surf clam

Rhymes for surf

• scurf
• serf
• turf

Kids Definition

surf

1 of 2 noun

ˈsərf 

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