Synonyms of skimming

skimming

verb

present participle of skim

1

as in flipping

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

• flipping
• scanning
• riffling
• leafing
• thumbing
• browsing
• dipping
• looking over
• glancing (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• studying
• poring (over)

2

as in flowing

to move or proceed smoothly and readily

a lone hang glider skimming along just above the treetops

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flowing
• cruising
• gliding
• drifting
• sailing
• sliding
• brushing
• sweeping
• slipping
• rolling
• flying
• speeding
• streaming
• racing
• coasting
• rushing
• breezing
• whisking
• bowling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• struggling
• floundering
• stumbling
• trudging
• shuffling
• plodding
• limping
• lumbering
• stamping
• laboring
• stomping
• tramping
• toiling
• shambling
• stumping

3

as in brushing

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

• brushing
• kissing
• touching
• shaving
• nudging
• scraping
• caressing
• grazing
• missing
• patting
• stroking
• bumping
• skipping
• sweeping
• contacting
• glancing
• swiping
• striking
• bouncing
• fondling
• sideswiping
• ricocheting
• cuddling
• petting
• rebounding
• loving
• skirting
• caroming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hitting
• knocking
• bumping
• slapping
• slamming
• crashing
• punching
• impacting
• impinging
• smashing
• smacking
• banging
• swiping
• colliding
• whacking
• ramming
• bashing
• clashing
• thudding
• thwacking

4

as in bouncing

to strike and fly off at an angle

the rock just skimmed the surface of the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bouncing
• skipping
• glancing
• rebounding
• brushing
• ricocheting
• raking
• caroming
• sweeping
• bumping
• shaving
• contacting
• hitting
• grazing
• kissing
• nudging
• reflecting
• touching
• sideswiping

5

as in glancing

to take a quick or hasty look

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• glancing
• peeking
• browsing
• dipping
• glinting
• scanning
• glimpsing
• squinting
• peeping
• raking
• perusing
• keeking
• looking over
• blinking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• staring
• gazing
• examining
• studying
• surveying
• questioning
• viewing
• overlooking
• overseeing
• peering
• prying
• leering
• gawking
• goggling
• ogling
• rubbernecking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of skimming

Zendaya traded her beige dress for a white gown by Matières Fécales, with floor-skimming wings. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

The Rotary Mouse is suited for user tasks that require a lot of scrolling such as reading websites, writing lengthy documents, skimming spreadsheets, coding, or large amounts of video editing. — Shirl Leigh july 12, New Atlas, 12 July 2026

Consumers can help protect themselves from skimming by inspecting card readers before use, covering the keypad when entering a PIN, monitoring account activity regularly, and promptly reporting suspicious transactions to their financial institution. — Mary Ella Hastings july 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026

The cropped length and elbow-skimming sleeves keep things cool while brown buttons add visual interest. — Claire West, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

It’s made up of a pair of wide-leg pants and a body-skimming long-sleeve top that’s cozy and soft. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

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

Director David Anspaugh, whose resume includes small-town basketball tale Hoosiers and against-all-odds college football biopic Rudy, sticks rigidly to his sporting underdog formula, only skimming the surface of the David-versus-Goliath encounter. — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026