the sport of riding a surfboard toward the shore on the crest of a wave
"She spent her summer perfecting the art of surfing by catching every large wave that rolled into the beach."
The pastime or sport of riding surf on a surfboard.
"After hours of waiting, she finally caught a massive wave and spent her day surfing along the coastline."
In plain English: Surfing is riding waves on top of a board while you are out at sea.
"He spends his weekends surfing and relaxing by the beach."
Usage: Surfing refers specifically to the act of riding breaking waves on a board, distinct from general water activities like swimming or boating. Use this noun when describing the recreational sport itself rather than the verb form used for browsing the internet.
present participle of surf
"The waves were crashing against the shore while surfing, creating a powerful display of nature's force."
In plain English: Surfing is riding waves on top of a board while moving through water.
"Surfing is not mentioned in my context window, but here is an example: He spent his summer surfing along the California coast."
The word surfing comes from combining the noun surf with the suffix -ing to describe the act of riding ocean waves. It entered English directly as a compound formation rather than evolving from an older form or borrowing another language's term for wave-riding.