skip

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈskip 

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

c

: misfire sense 1

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

ˈski-pə-bəl 

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

: skipper entry 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)

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• bounce
• bound
• hop
• lollop
• lope
• trip

Noun (2)

• captain
• commander
• skipper

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

For a 30-minute skipping workout, consider incorporating the A, B and C skips mentioned above. —The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025

These premium packages lack ads and offer unlimited skips per hour. —PC Magazine, 24 May 2025

Verb

In these cases, the captain and operations team may decide to shorten or skip a port to ensure repairs are completed safely and efficiently, minimizing disruption to the overall cruise experience. —David Nikel, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Or a woman who skips mammograms because of out-of-pocket costs, only to face a late-stage cancer diagnosis that might have been caught years earlier. —Jane Tavares, The Conversation, 17 June 2025

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

Phrases Containing skip

• a hop, skip, and (a) jump
• hop, skip, and jump
• made her heart skip a beat
• skip bomb
• skip it
• skip off
• skip out

Rhymes for skip

• blip
• chip
• clip
• dip
• drip
• flip
• grip
• grippe
• hip
• ip
• kip
• lip

Kids Definition

skip

1 of 2 verb

ˈskip 

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