1
: the swell of the sea that breaks upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves
surfed; surfing; surfs
1
: to ride the surf (as on a surfboard)
2
: to scan a wide range of offerings for something of interest
: 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
Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
Playa Tamarindo is the main destination for tourists who want to hang by the beach, but surf can be found at Playa Grande, which is perfect for beginners and is known for turtle spotting, and Playa Langosta, a quieter stretch of beach with great waves for the more experienced set.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2023
Out on the bluff around the tower, Snowman showed me the damage caused by three centuries of pounding surf.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
No one is born with the ability to ride a skateboard, surf or even stand on their tiptoes.
—Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023
Now, the place where Bing Crosby crooned about the turf meeting the surf has scored the big-event version of the daily double.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2023
Children Wading depicts two young girls, Mary Watt and Lorna Galloway, frolicking in the surf in the Scottish town of Carnoustie during the summer of 1918.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
These include father-son pairs, Anderson told me, who summer in places like the Hamptons, travel to surf overseas twice a year, and order four or five new boards for every trip.
—Bydaniel Duane, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2023
Her figures—variously crouched in strange rooms, sprawled in burning fields, and stranded in the snow or surf—appear alone, their expressions colored by a vague distress.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2023
Will Knight, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
In high school, Barker abandoned skating and surfing to focus on music, joining the jazz ensemble and marching band.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Large groups of Chinese American families and friends would set up their beach umbrellas while the children would paddleboard, attempt to surf the waves and play ball.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
South Australia Police said in a statement that the 55-year-old man, who has not been named, was surfing at Granites Beach, south of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula on Tuesday.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2023
Beyond seeking respectability, Tate is surfing on a rising wave.
—Bymohamed El Aassar, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Webb: There’s different divisions, so there’s different styles that people surf.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
Large groups of Chinese American families and friends would set up their beach umbrellas while the children would paddleboard, attempt to surf the waves and play ball, Liu said.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
Trujillo, who joined the band in 2003 after working with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Suicidal Tendencies, prepared for the tour by running drills on a field, surfing and doing body-weight workouts.
—Chris Kornelis, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2023
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Noun
The now 57-year-old landmark has been closed since San Diego lifeguards shut its gates on Oct. 20 as a precaution amid high surf conditions.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
Playa Tamarindo is the main destination for tourists who want to hang by the beach, but surf can be found at Playa Grande, which is perfect for beginners and is known for turtle spotting, and Playa Langosta, a quieter stretch of beach with great waves for the more experienced set.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2023
Out on the bluff around the tower, Snowman showed me the damage caused by three centuries of pounding surf.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
No one is born with the ability to ride a skateboard, surf or even stand on their tiptoes.
—Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023
Now, the place where Bing Crosby crooned about the turf meeting the surf has scored the big-event version of the daily double.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2023
Children Wading depicts two young girls, Mary Watt and Lorna Galloway, frolicking in the surf in the Scottish town of Carnoustie during the summer of 1918.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
These include father-son pairs, Anderson told me, who summer in places like the Hamptons, travel to surf overseas twice a year, and order four or five new boards for every trip.
—Bydaniel Duane, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2023
Her figures—variously crouched in strange rooms, sprawled in burning fields, and stranded in the snow or surf—appear alone, their expressions colored by a vague distress.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2023
Verb
Altman surfed this wave of success with aplomb, meeting world leaders eager to discuss AI and its potential, and negotiating a deal that would see Microsoft invest a further $10 billion in OpenAI.
—Will Knight, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
In high school, Barker abandoned skating and surfing to focus on music, joining the jazz ensemble and marching band.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Large groups of Chinese American families and friends would set up their beach umbrellas while the children would paddleboard, attempt to surf the waves and play ball.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
South Australia Police said in a statement that the 55-year-old man, who has not been named, was surfing at Granites Beach, south of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula on Tuesday.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2023
Beyond seeking respectability, Tate is surfing on a rising wave.
—Bymohamed El Aassar, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Webb: There’s different divisions, so there’s different styles that people surf.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
Large groups of Chinese American families and friends would set up their beach umbrellas while the children would paddleboard, attempt to surf the waves and play ball, Liu said.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
Trujillo, who joined the band in 2003 after working with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Suicidal Tendencies, prepared for the tour by running drills on a field, surfing and doing body-weight workouts.
—Chris Kornelis, WSJ, 4 Sep. 2023
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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
Phrases Containing surf
Dictionary Entries Near surf
Cite this Entry
“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
surf
1 of 2 noun1
: waves that break upon the shore
2
: the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves
surf
2 of 2 verb1
: 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
Nglish: Translation of surf for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of surf for Arabic Speakers
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