windsurf
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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windsurfsimple
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windsurfssimple
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have windsurfedperfect
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has windsurfedperfect
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am windsurfingprogressive
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are windsurfingprogressive
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is windsurfingprogressive
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have been windsurfingperfect progressive
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has been windsurfingperfect progressive
Past
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windsurfedsimple
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had windsurfedperfect
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was windsurfingprogressive
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were windsurfingprogressive
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had been windsurfingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of windsurf
Explanation
To windsurf is to stand on a sailboard, riding the waves while being propelled by the breeze. Most people windsurf for fun, although it's also an Olympic sport. A sailboard is a cross between a surfboard and a small sailboat, and windsurfers incorporate the best of both surfing and sailing into their sport. Most windsurfers credit an American inventor, Newman Darby, with the creation of the first sailboard in 1964. He and his wife Naomi became the first windsurfers when they tested the board on Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River. Windsurfers first competed in the Olympics in 1984.
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.
See Examples For:
If you’re looking to get active on the water, the Yacht Club of Saint-Tropez offers kayak, windsurf and paddleboard rentals, from around $23 per hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Paddle, sail, swim, water ski, row, wakeboard, scuba dive, whitewater kayak, windsurf, kiteboard.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2023
"My terrifying 37 hours on a windsurf in deadly seas."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2022
Its programs teach people of all abilities to sail, paddle and windsurf on the Charles River — and encourage volunteerism.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2022
JoJo and I rolled her onto her side, which wasn’t easy since she was tied to the windsurf board.
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
"I never was and never will be a Nordic skier," says Svindal, who also cycles, windsurfs and follows motor sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2014
Sarah Perkins, from Cardiff, has been an SUP racer for eight years, having windsurfed before then.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2024
As we began to try the steps, shifting to a new partner with every song as an extra skill-builder, I felt pulled by famous dancer Fuller, and pushed by the windsurfed whitecaps of the Columbia.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2017
To show his youthful athletic prowess, Mr. Kerry skated in hockey games and windsurfed off Nantucket.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 2, 2015
Laird was a windsurfing champion, and all the windsurfers on Mau'i where he windsurfed sometimes were already out riding Jaws.
From Time Magazine Archive
Great for windsurfing, as well as human or canine jogs, Guincho is so wild and natural it is hard to believe it is so close to an urban center and seafood restaurants galore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
He pulled a couple of windsurfing boards from the back of a pickup and began explaining the finer points of a northward versus a westward wind.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2025
This year’s windsurfing event involves a new class, iQFoil, which replaces the old RS:X class.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024
You can hire top-flight trainers, buy yourself a Peloton or a Tonal smart gym, and then splurge on bikes, kayaks and windsurfing gear.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024
It seemed as if the whole city was on vacation, with people riding around on their bikes and walking along the lakes and feeding the ducks and eating and canoeing and windsurfing.
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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.
