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:
If you’re really worried, skip uncooked produce like salad mixes, berries, basil, and snap peas for the time being.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
If it’s an entry-level or junior role that’s likely to receive reams of applications, Fell said a candidate could skip a letter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
The buttermilk powder gives them that signature tang, but you can also skip the individual seasonings and use a packet of ranch seasoning instead.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Bellingham was given leeway to skip tournament media duties, certainly with the English press, that other players had to undertake, all while filming his own multi-part documentary.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
She felt the slender, smooth stone in her left hand, which she had been about to try to skip as far as she could.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
Stars Mookie Betts and Enrique Hernandez notably skipped the ceremony in the Rose Garden, nearly nine months on from their stunning 2025 game-seven victory against the Toronto Blue Jays.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
But even a short gap can mean skipped medications, delayed appointments or untreated symptoms that become urgent and potentially more serious than they would otherwise have been.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Bradley Barcola: One early run into the box which won a corner after he skipped past Pedro Porro.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
It also launched a massive recruiting blitz that has sometimes resulted in porous vetting, as Slate’s Laura Jedeed discovered when ICE offered her a job after she skipped several screening steps.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
Seven months ago, Helen was attending her high school graduation and seven months ago I’d skipped my own to run to France under some misguided notion that I was proving something.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
He addressed skipping the party, telling Page Six, “I love my daughter, always have, always will.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Against intense pressure, teams have opted to play longer passes into their forwards, skipping build-up altogether.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some Americans are skipping salads or no longer buying lettuce at the grocery store amid a lengthy investigation into the cyclospora outbreak.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
However, not only is this moderate version of TRE more feasible, it is safer because it doesn’t require skipping breakfast, which has consistently been associated with increased mortality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Alter, I know you’ve been skipping meals. I can see it in your face. You know, if you ever need something, you’ll come to me, won’t you? Won’t you?”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
