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:
Some brands opt to skip fermentation, which naturally produces alcohol, and instead mix ingredients such as herbs and spices in hot water before distilling the mixture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
But I thought he wanted to skip lunch?
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The prime minister of Vanuatu and the head of government of the French territory of New Caledonia will also skip the summit, a forum official told journalists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Lastly, the law allows plans to include language permitting workers old enough to be subject to RMDs to skip them while working for the company sponsoring the plan.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Me and Susie took turns seeing who could skip them across the water the farthest.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Bessent skipped last year's meeting led by South Africa, which has been excluded from the group by the US.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
And Littler, who skipped the first 26 events on the circuit, is currently £16,750 behind 64th-placed Shane McGuirk.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
They skipped stairs as they ran between platforms, and found they could shave time at the turnstiles by switching from using their phones to physical cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
A different voter, Bennett Bracell of Charleston, had skipped a day of high school to drive up two hours for the rally.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Suitcases swinging by their sides, Penelope and the children half skipped and half tumbled down the grassy slopes, only stopping when they were winded and could no longer catch breath enough to laugh.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
When I joked, “I didn’t realize I was communicating with the NSA,” without skipping a beat, he replied: “breaking news the fbi let a spy get shot 5 times!”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
I highly recommend skipping Google, skipping ChatGPT, and going straight to INeedAnA.com.”
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
This is like skipping rope without the rope.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children's Society, said that parents were "going into debt over the summer holidays" and "skipping meals".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Two big, skipping hops, another leap, and she was on dry land.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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.
