Synonyms of skim

skim

verb

ˈskim 

1

as in to flip

to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner

I'll just skim through a few styling magazines and see if something interesting catches my eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flip
• leaf
• thumb
• scan
• riffle
• browse
• dip
• look over
• glance (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• study
• pore (over)

2

as in to flow

to move or proceed smoothly and readily

a lone hang glider skimming along just above the treetops

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flow
• glide
• drift
• sail
• slip
• slide
• brush
• sweep
• stream
• cruise
• coast
• fly
• roll
• breeze
• race
• speed
• rush
• whisk
• bowl

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• struggle
• flounder
• stumble
• limp
• trudge
• plod
• lumber
• shuffle
• stamp
• stomp
• labor
• stump
• toil
• tramp
• shamble

3

as in to brush

to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing

her hand just barely skimmed the wall as she ran down the hallway

Synonyms & Similar Words

• brush
• kiss
• shave
• touch
• nudge
• graze
• scrape
• caress
• pat
• skip
• miss
• bump
• sweep
• stroke
• swipe
• contact
• strike
• glance
• love
• bounce
• rebound
• fondle
• sideswipe
• pet
• cuddle
• ricochet
• carom
• skirt

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hit
• knock
• bump
• slap
• swipe
• impinge
• smack
• smash
• impact
• whack
• slam
• punch
• collide
• bang
• ram
• crash
• clash
• bash
• thud
• thwack

4

as in to bounce

to strike and fly off at an angle

the rock just skimmed the surface of the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bounce
• skip
• rebound
• glance
• brush
• ricochet
• rake
• carom
• shave
• sweep
• graze
• bump
• hit
• contact
• nudge
• kiss
• reflect
• touch
• sideswipe

5

as in to peek

to take a quick or hasty look

he impatiently skimmed through the book, looking for the specific passage he remembered seeing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• peek
• glance
• glimpse
• browse
• dip
• scan
• glint
• peep
• peruse
• squint
• rake
• look over
• keek
• blink

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• examine
• stare
• gaze
• study
• view
• survey
• overlook
• question
• oversee
• pry
• peer
• gawk
• ogle
• goggle
• rubberneck
• leer

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of skim

Once devoted to chin-skimming cuts, Hadid has spent the last year growing out her hair. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 July 2026

Workers were seen skimming the surface of the pool in the end nearest the World War II Memorial. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Someone pulls a trend report, watches a handful of viral videos, skims a research deck, maybe sits in on one focus group, and from that thin base builds a campaign meant to represent an entire community. — Sonia Thompson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

The 41-year-old actress appeared in a video for her skincare brand The Outset and showed off her new blonde lob, which barely skimmed her collarbones and featured a subtle curl. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 30 June 2026