couch-surf

American  

[kouch-surf] / ˈkaʊtʃˌsɜrf /

Also couch-hop

verb (used without object)

1. to stay overnight in someone’s else’s home while traveling.

   He couch-surfed at the houses of strangers and friends.

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verb (used with object)

1. travel through (a place) or make (one’s way) by staying overnight in other people’s homes.

   She spent a year couch-surfing the country.

Other Word Forms

• couch surfer noun

Etymology

Origin of couch-surf

First recorded in 2000–05; couch + surf

Example Sentences

Despite two graduate degrees, I couldn’t find a job; I survived because a few friends allowed me to couch-surf.

From Los Angeles Times

At UC Santa Barbara, a shortfall in housing a few years ago prompted the campus to house some students in hotels, while other students have been forced to couch-surf or live in vehicles and tents.

From Los Angeles Times

The damage to her one-story brick house was extensive, forcing Ms. Gouaux to couch-surf with her three teenagers and, for a while, her oldest son.

From New York Times

Many are what experts consider “marginally housed” because they either sleep in a car or “couch-surf” with friends, or their housing status changes regularly.

From Seattle Times

Some advocates of homeless people have criticized the latter initiatives, saying the city is sometimes refusing to offer shelter to women and children who need it, forcing them to couch-surf or stay in unstable living situations.

From Washington Post