skip
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to move in a light, springy manner by bounding forward with alternate hops on each foot.
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to pass from one point, thing, subject, etc., to another, disregarding or omitting what intervenes.
He skipped through the book quickly.
- Synonyms:
- skim
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to go away hastily and secretly; flee without notice.
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Education. to be advanced two or more classes or grades at once.
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to ricochet or bounce along a surface.
The stone skipped over the lake.
verb (used with object)
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to jump lightly over.
The horse skipped the fence.
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to pass over without reading, noting, acting, etc..
He skipped the bad parts.
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to miss or omit (one of a repeated series of rhythmic actions).
My heart skipped a beat.
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to be absent from; avoid attendance at.
to skip a school class.
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to send (a missile) ricocheting along a surface.
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Informal. to leave hastily and secretly or to flee from (a place).
They skipped town.
noun
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a skipping movement; a light jump or bounce.
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a gait marked by such jumps.
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a passing from one point or thing to another, with disregard of what intervenes.
a quick skip through Europe.
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Music. a melodic interval greater than a second.
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a natural depression below the surface of a planed board.
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Informal. a person who has absconded in order to avoid paying debts or meeting other financial responsibilities.
verb phrase
verb
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to spring or move lightly, esp to move by hopping from one foot to the other
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(intr) to jump over a skipping-rope
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to cause (a stone, etc) to bounce or skim over a surface or (of a stone) to move in this way
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to omit (intervening matter), as in passing from one part or subject to another
he skipped a chapter of the book
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informal to read or deal with quickly or superficially
he skipped through the accounts before dinner
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informal (tr) to miss deliberately
to skip school
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informal (tr) to leave (a place) in haste or secrecy
to skip town
noun
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a skipping movement or gait
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the act of passing over or omitting
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music another word for leap
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informal it doesn't matter!
noun
noun
noun
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a large open container for transporting building materials, etc
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a cage used as a lift in mines, etc
noun
Synonym Usage
Skip, bound refer to an elastic, springing movement. To skip is to give a series of light, quick hops alternating the feet: to skip about. Bound suggests a series of long, rather vigorous leaps; it is also applied to a springing or leaping type of walking or running rapidly and actively: A dog came bounding up to meet him.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skip1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb skippen, perhaps from Old Norse skopa “to take a run” (compare Icelandic skoppa “to spin like a top, hop,” Swedish dialect skopa “to skip”); the noun is derivative of the verb
Origin of skip2
First recorded in 1820–30; short for skipper 1
Origin of skip3
First recorded in 1805–15; alteration of skep
Explanation
When you skip, you do a little hop from foot to foot as you move along. It's pretty common to see little kids skip down the sidewalk or across the playground. While a happy, running hop is one kind of skip, you can also use this verb to mean "pass up" or "pass over." You might arrive late to the movies and skip the trailers at the beginning, or skip the bread basket at a restaurant so you have room for dessert later. The earliest meaning of skip, from the 1300's, is "to spring lightly," from the Old Norse root word skopa.
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:
Hodge of Natixis CIB thinks there are several reasons for the Fed to skip hiking rates in October.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
A notable absence at that meeting will be US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will skip due to "domestic engagements", a department official said on Friday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
McCullum has already indicated other seamers could skip the T20 series in Australia in order to prepare for the three Tests in South Africa.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Sparks essentially tried to skip the rebuilding part of a rebuild, and then almost everything that could go wrong with that plan did.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Right. And then he could apologize for being a jerk. And then we’ll hold hands and skip over the rainbow.”
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Green leader Zack Polanski, who skipped the conference vote to unsuccessfully campaign for election in a Westminster by-election, has said he wants to see the "imperfect" motion amended in future.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
World number 18 Eala, who skipped the prestigious China Open to play in Nagoya, was looking to become the first woman from the Philippines to win the title.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
There are only human software engineers, product managers and corporate boards deciding which guardrails are worth the latency cost and which permissions can be skipped in the race to market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
He was so anxious that he skipped the morning sessions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
One letter he almost skipped over came in an envelope on which was imprinted the Manhattan Chess Club logo.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
At the same time that layoffs are skipping along at historic lows, most businesses are also unwilling to bring on lots of new workers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Part D is a government requirement for anyone over 65 who doesn’t have what is called “creditable” drug insurance at work, and skipping it can inflict a penalty for life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
She said some families on the lowest incomes were going to have to make decisions such as whether to "prioritise feeding their children over themselves", skipping meals and choosing not to heat their homes.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
There, the discussion shifted from seven-part heroes’ journeys centered on skipping little luxuries like Starbucks to drink-based dominance theory.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Quinn is practically skipping, and Jonah has his head down and his phone out.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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