skip

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   To leave out or not do something, such as a meal, lesson or step, that would usually happen.

   Grammar: Takes an object: skip breakfast, skip a page.

   Patterns

   • skip something
   • skip class
   • skip over something

   I skipped breakfast because I was running late.

   You can skip the introduction and go straight to chapter one.

   He skipped the meeting to finish his report.

2. 2verbintransitive

   To move forward with light hops, usually from one foot to the other.

   Grammar: No object; usually followed by a direction: skip along, skip home.

   Patterns

   • skip along
   • skip down something
   • skip to something

   The children skipped happily down the path.

   She skipped across the yard to meet her friend.

   He was so cheerful that he nearly skipped to work.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitiveAmerican

   To jump over a rope that is swung under your feet, or to bounce a stone across water.

   Grammar: No object for rope games: they skip at recess. With an object for stones: skip a stone.

   Patterns

   • skip rope
   • skip a stone

   The girls skip rope at recess every day.

   He skipped a flat stone across the pond five times.

   We skipped for ten minutes to warm up.

4. 4verbintransitive

   To move quickly from one part, topic or place to another without dealing with what lies between.

   Grammar: Usually followed by from, to or between: skip from topic to topic.

   Patterns

   • skip from something to something
   • skip to something

   The speaker kept skipping from one topic to another.

   Skip to the last page if you want the answer.

   Her thoughts skipped between past and future.

5. 5nouncountableBritish

   A large open container for rubbish from building or clearing work.

   Grammar: Used in British English; the American word is Dumpster.

   Patterns

   • hire a skip
   • fill a skip

   We hired a skip to clear out the old garage.

   Workers threw the broken tiles into the skip.

   A skip stood outside the house for two weeks.

Word forms

Common combinations

skip a meal

Doctors advise against skipping meals when you are studying.

skip class

He was punished for skipping class.

skip the details

Skip the details and tell me what happened.

skip rope

The boxers skip rope to build stamina.

skip a beat

Her heart skipped a beat when the phone rang.

skip town

The thief tried to skip town before the police arrived.

Synonyms and how they differ

omit

Omit is more formal and often used for leaving things out of writing or lists.

miss

Miss can be an accident, while skip is usually a choice.

bypass

Bypass suggests going around something, especially a rule or obstacle, rather than just not doing it.

hop

Hop is a jump on one foot, while skip alternates feet in a light, cheerful motion.

Opposites

Word family

skipping noun

the activity of jumping over a rope

skipper noun

the captain of a ship or a team

skippable adjective

able to be left out without loss, as in a skippable advertisement

Commonly confused: skip or skim? skip or skid?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “skip”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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