skip

1 of 4

verb (1)

skipped; skipping

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or proceed with leaps and bounds or with a skip
b
: to bound off one point after another : ricochet
2
: to leave hurriedly or secretly
skipped out without paying their bill
3
a
: to pass over or omit an interval, item, or step
b
: to omit a grade in school in advancing to the next

transitive verb

1
a
: to pass over without notice or mention : omit
skipped her name
b
: to pass by or leave out (a step in a progression or series)
2
a
: to cause to skip (a grade in school)
b
: to cause to bound or skim over a surface
skip a stone across a pond
3
: to leap over lightly and nimbly
4
a
: to depart from quickly and secretly
skipped town
b
: to fail to attend or participate in
skip the tournament
skippable adjective

skip

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a light bounding step
b
: a gait composed of alternating hops and steps
2
: an act of omission or the thing omitted

skip

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: the captain of a side in a game (such as curling or lawn bowling) who advises the team as to the play and controls the action
2

skip

4 of 4

verb (2)

skipped; skipping

transitive verb

: to act as skipper of
Phrases
skip bail
: to jump bail
skip rope
: to use a jump rope (as for exercise or a game)

Examples of skip in a Sentence

Verb (1) children skipping along the woodland path the day was so nice that we decided to skip class and go to the beach the soap slipped out of my hand and went skipping across the bathroom floor Noun (2) the skip's barking orders again
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In it, Biden made fun of Trump’s ongoing criminal trial for hush money payments, referencing how Trump’s trial skips meeting on Wednesday. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 May 2024 Located at the Austin Convention Center in Downtown Austin, The McConaughey is a short drive from the Hartman Concert Lawn, and a skip away from the city’s buzzy Sixth Street. Anna Tingley, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024 The couple was last seen at Baird’s home in the eastern Sydney suburb of Paddington on Monday, and fears for their safety rose after their bloodied belongings were found in a skip in Cronulla, around 30 kilometers (18 miles) away. Chris Lau, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 He’s always got that faintly skeletal skip in his step, the hint of a smile on his face. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024 The Lent season is coming to a close, which means Easter is just a skip and a hop away. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024 Just a skip and a hop away, Kentuckians can reach these viewing locations in about a two-hour drive, or around 120 miles. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 2 Mar. 2024 Not magic, just a skip and a hop (and a track) from my friends’ places in all directions. Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Pratt, averaging now 18.9 points over his last nine contests, hit a dagger three from the corner off a nifty skip pass from BJ Freeman with 1:56 to play that put Milwaukee up by six. Journal Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2024
Verb
Eventually, Murray brought Kareem inside and took him directly to bed, skipping dinner. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 20 May 2024 After reports surfaced that Tagovailoa began skipping the Dolphins’ OTA sessions last week, the franchise’s starting quarterback for the past four seasons apparently changed course, showing up to Monday’s on-field offseason work, which was the first day of Phase 3 of the offseason program. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024 The latest iteration of the Golden Ticket offered the chance to skip Hollywood Week, where the pool shrank from 56 contestants to the final 24 for the Showstopper round. Adam England, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024 Skulking around the Finger Lakes region, Mr. Rath repeatedly got arrested, skipped bail and fell in and out with his new girlfriend, Brelynn Vorrasi. Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024 No one skipped a beat when asked which cast member most closely aligns with their imaginary friend character. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 17 May 2024 Over time, guests learned to skip daily room cleanings for COVID precautions. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 13 May 2024 Grow a variety of edible flowers in your garden (be sure to skip the toxic sprays, pesticides, and fertilizers!) or order them from dealers who ship them straight to your door in clamshell packages. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2024 In contrast, his great directorial contemporary Alain Resnais made films that were famous for drastically skipping around in time, and was obsessed with the writing stage, working with such notables as Marguerite Duras, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Jorge Semprún, and Jules Feiffer. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English skippen, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect skopa to hop

Noun (2)

short for skipper entry 2

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of skip was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near skip

Cite this Entry

“Skip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skip. Accessed 23 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

skip

1 of 2 verb
skipped; skipping
1
a
: to move or proceed with leaps and bounds
b
: to bounce or cause to bounce off one point after another
skipping stones
c
: to leap over lightly
2
: to leave hurriedly or secretly
skip town
3
a
: to pass over or leave out (as a section, item, or step)
skipped the dull parts of the book
b
: to promote or cause to be promoted to a grade higher than the next grade in school
c
: to fail to attend
skipped the meeting

skip

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a light bouncing step
b
: a manner of moving by alternating hops and steps
2
: a failure to do something
also : something not done

More from Merriam-Webster on skip

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