surf

1 of 2

noun

ˈsərf How to pronounce surf (audio)
Synonyms of surfnext
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

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
However, the high surf advisory issued by the NWS office in Los Angeles will remain in place until 4 p.m. PT on Thursday. — Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025 Dangerous waves that may break up to 30 feet also will continue along the coast, and the weather service extended a high surf advisory through Friday. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
Last year, the government began intermittently enforcing a rule against surfing at the beach, according to people who surf there. — Erin Mendell, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025 And Lage said Moana struggling to learn to sail in her quest echoes Bucky’s struggle to learn to surf for his. — Andrew Dalton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 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

Phrases Containing surf

Rhymes for surf

See All Rhymes for surf

Browse Nearby Words

surexcitation
surf
surfable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surf. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

surf

1 of 2 noun
ˈsərf How to pronounce surf (audio)
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

Nglish: Translation of surf for Spanish Speakers

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