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
Coastal North Bay including Point Reyes National Seashore, San Francisco Peninsula Coast and Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast as well as San Francisco County were placed under a high surf advisory by the National Weather Service on Tuesday at 9:08 a.m. Bay Area Weather Report, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025 On Monday at 4:44 p.m. a high surf advisory was issued by the NWS Eureka CA in effect until Tuesday at 10 a.m. Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
On the way out of the door, Laura managed to take a painting her friend had done of her son surfing. Marianne Eloise, Architectural Digest, 31 Jan. 2025 John Leininger, a South Bay surfing original from the 1950s and longtime surf shop operator, came to Santa Monica to deliver clothes to his fellow surf pioneer and her husband. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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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