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to surf

to surf

89 2.1
To ride waves in the sea on a board
  • verb
  • /sɜrf/
translation icon : surfear
  • You get to surf against the No. 1 and No. 2 in the world.

So when Peter began to surf, he just stood up and surfed.

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Examples

  • Do you know if there's any good spots to surf around here?

    Under the Skin (2014)

  • Recreational surfers voluntarily choose both to surf and the amount of time they will spend surfing.

    Academic text (1992)

  • You wanna learn how to surf the right way?

    Surf's Up (2007)

  • Maybe we go down to the beach and swim or surf cast under the stars and moon.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • "I'm gonna surf a pipe, dude."

    No Appointment Necessary (2017)

  • Now, get out there and surf, you little grommets.

    Lords of Dogtown (2005)

  • Bethany had to learn to surf all over again.

    Academic text (2011)

  • I think this might be the very first time I've surfed twice in one day.

    Kara and Nate

  • The children have gone to the beach, Timothy to surf and toss his lean body into the waves.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Many people enjoy surfing at the beach during the summer.

Synonyms

to catch a wave
vsto surf
10 4.1

To ride a moving ocean wave on a surfboard

is the broader activity using a board rather than one single wave ride
to surfboard
vsto surf
3.2

To ride waves in the sea while standing or lying on a board

is the general action that does not specify standing or lying

Phrasal Verbs

to channel-surf
  • Informal
5 5.6

To switch quickly between TV channels without watching any show for long

to body-surf
1 6.3

To ride a wave using only your body while lying on the water

Compounds

surf music
2 3.7

A style of pop music with echoing guitars and songs about the beach and waves

surf fishing
  • Specialized
1 5.0

Fishing from the beach by throwing bait or lures into the sea where waves break

surf casting
  • Specialized
5.8

A way of fishing from the shore by throwing bait or a lure into the sea beyond the waves

surf fish
  • US
6.7

A small to medium fish that lives in shallow water near Pacific coast beaches in North America

How Intense

to surf
89 2.1
waterskiing
1 3.3

Surface Forms

surf infinitive
surfed past
surfed past participle
surfing present participle
surfs third person singular

Etymology

Surf as a verb comes from the noun surf (the breaking waves). To surf is to ride those waves on a board, so the word means 'to ride on the sea' or move with the waves.