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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skylark.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
circa 1680
couldn't resist the temptation to skylark as commencement ceremonies came to a close
he spends his time joking and skylarking, but his brother is serious and industrious
As far as we know, people were skylarking at sea before they were larking on land. Skylarking was originally a term used by seamen for their scampering about on the rigging of ships. The first known use of the word in print is from 1809, though the term was probably part of the sailor's vernacular before that. Lark, meaning "to engage in harmless fun or mischief," isn't attested in writing until 1813. Whether or not the meanings of these words came about from the song and/or behavior of birds is uncertain. One theory of the verb lark is that it began as a misinterpretation of the verb lake, which in British dialect means "to play or frolic."
1771
dabble, fiddle (around), mess around, putter (around);
bum (around), dawdle, idle, loaf, lounge (around or about), relax, rest, screw around, slack (off);
: a small bird of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa that sings while it flies
See words that rhyme with skylark Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for skylark Spanish Central: Translation of skylark Nglish: Translation of skylark for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of skylark for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about skylark
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