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:
A new project can always use a helping hand — some popular IP, a respected brand name — to skip to the front of the line and cross the velvet rope to an audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
To understand how a Chinese ice-cream shop surpassed McDonald’s in-store locations, skip Beijing or Shanghai.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
As tempting as it is, you might want to skip letting artificial intelligence write your resume.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
And no matter what you order, don’t skip the croissants — they’re delectable, as they should be.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
“Well, didn’t you skip ahead a grade this year? That’s a lot for a student to adjust to. And no school year is ever perfect. No person is ever perfect.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
There was a smattering of press cameras outside the entry gates, though most fans skipped talking to the press.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Two of last year’s biggest Oscar contenders, “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another,” also skipped fall festival launches, raising questions about how essential such festivals — Telluride among them — remain to an awards campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 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
He went down five flights of stairs to G deck and practically skipped along the long hallway toward the front of the ship.
From "I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912" by Lauren Tarshis
Patients will order these cheaper, unproven products via an 800-number or the internet, skipping appointments with real doctors who can provide accurate diagnoses and proven treatments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Patients, of course, who will order these cheaper, unproven products via an 800-number or the internet, skipping appointments with real doctors who can provide accurate diagnoses and proven treatments.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Toss Master also has a third theory about the attraction of skipping stones across water.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
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’m just excited to be here,” I whispered, dashing back over to her side and skipping to keep up with her fast walking.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
