Meaning & use
skimming
Last updated
“skimming” is a form of “skim”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Reading something quickly to get its main points without taking in every detail.
Grammar: Takes an object or goes with through: skimming the report or skimming through it.
Patterns
- skimming something
- skimming through something
I was skimming the report while waiting for the train.
She kept skimming through the pages looking for her name.
Skimming the headlines is a quick way to learn the news.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Moving lightly and quickly just above or along a surface without sinking in.
Grammar: Used with a surface: birds skimming the water.
Patterns
- skimming over something
- skimming across something
The swallows were skimming the surface of the lake.
A flat stone went skimming across the pond.
The sailboat was skimming over the waves.
verbtransitive
Removing a layer from the top of a liquid, such as cream, foam or fat.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with off: skimming the fat off the soup.
Patterns
- skimming something off something
He was skimming the foam off the soup with a spoon.
They are skimming cream from the milk each morning.
Skimming the oil off the surface made the water cleaner.
verbtransitiveinformal
Secretly taking small amounts of money or stealing card details, usually in a dishonest way.
Grammar: Often with off or with cards as the object: skimming profits, skimming cards.
Patterns
- skimming something off something
The manager was skimming profits off the top for years.
Thieves were skimming card details at the gas pump.
Auditors found someone skimming cash from the register.
Common combinations
- skimming through
- I was skimming through the contract when I spotted the error.
- skimming the surface
- The speedboat was skimming the surface of the bay.
- skimming off the top
- He got caught skimming off the top of the donations.
- skimming stones
- The children spent the afternoon skimming stones at the river.
- skimming the headlines
- She started her day by skimming the headlines.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scanning
- Scanning means looking quickly for one specific detail, while skimming means taking in the overall gist.
- glancing through
- Glancing through is lighter and shorter than skimming, and implies hardly reading at all.
- browsing
- Browsing suggests casual, leisurely looking with no particular goal, while skimming often has a clear time-saving purpose.
- flicking through
- Flicking through is British and informal and refers to turning pages, so it suits books and magazines more than documents.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: skimming or skimping?
skimming vs skimping
Skimping means spending or using too little of something, like money or time, and has no connection with reading or sliding along a surface.
Practice
In which sentence does skimming mean reading quickly for the main idea?
Choose one answer.
Skimming an article means reading it fast for the main idea. The other options use skimming for sliding over water, removing fat, or stealing money.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “skimming”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.