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couch surfing

American  
[kauch surf-ing] / ˈkaʊtʃ ˌsɜrf ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the practice of staying as a guest in the homes of friends or acquaintances while traveling or when lacking permanent housing, usually with hosts providing limited accommodations such as a couch or other informal sleeping arrangement.

  2. the act or practice of sitting on a couch or sofa and watching TV, especially while switching from channel to channel.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Couch surfing was predicated on personal exchange: hosts got to know their guests, with the understanding that one day they might spend a free night at their guests’ home.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 22, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.