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.

---

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

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 • Sep. 22, 2023

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 • Aug. 23, 2022

I couch-surf among friends and in-laws, so I’ve had the joy of spending a night or so every month with the Turnersteins.

From Slate • Oct. 26, 2018

They couch-surf or head to shelters at night.

From Washington Post • Oct. 22, 2015

You really can’t couch-surf and stay healthy with HIV, because you’ve got to take medication, you need a routine, and part of that is having a steady roof over your head.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2014