surf

American  

[surf] / sɜrf /

noun

1. the swell of the sea that breaks upon a shore or upon shoals.

2. the mass or line of foamy water caused by the breaking of the sea upon a shore, especially a shallow or sloping shore.

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verb (used without object)

1. to ride a surfboard.

2. to float on the crest of a wave toward shore.

3. to swim, play, or bathe in the surf.

4. to search haphazardly, as for information on a computer network or an interesting program on television.

verb (used with object)

1. to ride a surfboard on.

   We surfed every big wave in sight.

2. to search through (a computer network or TV channels) for information or entertainment.

surf British  

/ sɜːf /

noun

1. waves breaking on the shore or on a reef

2. foam caused by the breaking of waves

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verb

1. (intr) to take part in surfing

2. 1. computing (on the internet) to move freely from website to website (esp in the phrase surf the net )

   2. to move freely between (TV channels or radio stations)

3. 1. informal to be carried on top of something

      that guy's surfing the audience

   2. ( in combination )

      trainsurfing

surf Scientific  

/ sûrf /

1. The waves of the sea as they break upon a shore or a reef.

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Related Words

See wave.

Other Word Forms

• surfable adjective
• surfer noun
• surflike adjective

Etymology

Origin of surf

First recorded in 1600–10; earlier suff; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

How she contends with her fear—and how that fear actually drives her to surf the biggest waves in the world—separates director Minna Dufton’s documentary from other competition movies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Taking cues from surf rock, 60s pop and sci-fi soundtracks, The B-52s sound is laced with exuberant humour and a love of junk culture.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

“While this storm is not expected to be as intense as the atmospheric river we experienced in December, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and dangerous surf can still create serious hazards, including flooding and debris flows.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

If that proves true, advertisers will be delighted to surf the AI wave as it crashes over the world's internet users.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

The cliff tipped forward, slowly at first, but gaining speed, until it crashed into the surf with a tremendous explosion of sea spray.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• swell
• wave