Phrase guide

train surf

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To either stand on a the roof of a moving train and surf it like a wave, or to hang on and ride on the exterior of a train.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, intransitive

Examples

  • 1998: Felicity Allen, Health Psychology: Theory and Practice - Adolescents may be rejected by their parents and feel so worthless that they want to do dangerous things such as ‘train-surfing'. [published in Australia]
  • 2006: Weekend Argus 14 May 2006 p.8. - An 18 year old boy was electrocuted yesterday while "train surfing" in Soweto yesterday, emergency services said. The boy had been standing on the roof of the train... According to emergency services, the boys wait until the train is travelling slowly and climb onto the roof and ride it like a surf board. [published in South Africa]
  • 2003: Melvin M. Carpio, The Web of Darkness - We would often try our hand at train surfing, that is, the act of riding outside the train, hanging on the back of the last car, holding on for dear life, while the train is in motion. [published in USA]
  • 2004: Expatica, read at https://web.archive.org/web/20050313211316/http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=4722 on 22 May 2006 - A 15-year-old boy was killed on Saturday night while he and a friend "train surfed" ... near Rotterdam. ... One of the boys opened a window of a stationary train at about 9pm and when the train started to move, both of them climbed out through the window and hung onto the train from the outside. [published in UK]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 扒火車 /扒火车 (bāhuǒchē) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 掛火車 /挂火车 (guàhuǒchē) — Translations