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

Noun

• foam
• froth
• head
• lather
• spume
• suds

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

One weather alert still in place is a high surf advisory issued by the NWS office in San Francisco. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

Although the king tide technically ends on Monday, a high surf advisory remains in effect, posing ongoing dangers. —Katu Staff, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024

Verb

Palm trees are twinkling and Santas are surfing, which means the holiday season has arrived in San Diego. —Andrew Keatts, Axios, 24 Nov. 2024

Plus there are several peaks on the waves here, meaning more people can surf at once (as opposed to on the reef breaks). —Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2024

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

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