skit
Americannoun
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skits
plural
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a short literary piece of a humorous or satirical character.
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a short theatrical sketch or act, usually comical.
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a gibe or taunt.
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British Dialect. a joke or prank.
noun
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a brief satirical theatrical sketch
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a short satirical piece of writing
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a trick or hoax
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of skit
First recorded in 1565–75; of obscure origin
Explanation
A skit is a funny or informative short play. It's usually more fun to perform a skit about an alien invasion than a skit about workplace safety. You might watch a skit about bullying at school, and the local theater troupe may perform skits in the park for kids. In stand-up or improvisational comedy, skits are more commonly called "sketches." Skit comes from the now-obsolete Scottish skit, "a vain, frivolous, or wanton girl," which became "a satirical remark" in English, and then "a piece of light satire."
Vocabulary lists containing skit
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Conventions, Writing, and Speaking & Listening, Unit 2
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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:
Later, in a pre-recorded skit, Hargitay and her costars from Law & Order SVU tried to solve the mystery of whether Taylor Swift would appear at the Emmys.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Lumen has followed up with another comedy skit, including one about a company lawyer who zealously stops Seattleites from uttering the brand’s name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
In one skit between innings, a character wore a sign around its neck that said “ICE.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
“You feel a little bit like Captain Kirk on that ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit where they said, ‘It was just a TV show, you guys!’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
I did not feel comfortable putting on a funny skit, so I asked Paul if he would play the piano.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Wright and his husband, Justin, often appeared on “Ellen,” participating in skits and wearing costumes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
In other studios, short dramas and skits are filmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
“They feature skits and interviews of me on radio. When people follow your story, they feel closer to you — it’s like a soap opera. People want to know what’s going to happen next.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
She's also got brand deals and receives free gifts, while her dance videos, short skits and outfit try-ons bring in cash too.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
We’ll have Latin dances, singing of all types, Cambodian dances, a fashion show, and even skits.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
