surfing

American  

[sur-fing] / ˈsɜr fɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or sport of riding the surf, as on a surfboard.

---

surfing British  

/ ˈsɜːfɪŋ /

noun

1. the sport of riding towards shore on the crest of a wave by standing or lying on a surfboard

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• surfer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of surfing

First recorded in 1915–20; surf + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

They met while shooting her campaign advertisements and he proposed to her while surfing in the sunset.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Levy grew up surfing in San Diego County, then made his money selling dog collars and other pet products.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

In those years, all the cool surf brands made cute surf clothing, but the emphasis was decidedly more on the aesthetic than the function, which was a bummer when it came to, you know, surfing.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

I still recall the promise of new-millennium digital iconography, when knowledge fused with access, and posters with images of kids surfing on textbooks down the information superhighway adorned school computer rooms.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

At once they beat their wings and surged forward, and she darted with them, surfing on the turbulence their pinions caused in the air and relishing the speed and power it added to her flight.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman