sofa surfing

British

noun

informal (of a homeless person) the practice of staying temporarily with various friends and relatives while attempting to find permanent accommodation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Not all the individuals the charity supports are rough sleepers - some will be sofa surfing, others may have recently moved into accommodation.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

At the time of his death, he was homeless and sofa surfing.

From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025

Ockelton sent in a tape while sofa surfing and trying to get back on her feet.

From BBC • May 29, 2023

Trudgian, whose firm houses around 200 people, says he has around 20 to 30 people who are sofa surfing or sleeping in the woods above the town on his waiting list.

From The Guardian • Apr. 13, 2019

"Many thousands more people will not be recorded, instead being hidden away from help on the street, sofa surfing and in overcrowded and unsuitable accommodation."

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2012

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