skip
skip — verb
1. to walk with small, quick, bouncing steps, usually because you feel happy or exc
to walk with small, quick, bouncing steps, usually because you feel happy or excited.
Daichi skipped happily down the street after hearing the good news.
skip + adverb/preposition (down)
The little girl held her mother's hand and skipped along the path to the park.
Léa skipped over the puddles on her way to school.
The puppy skipped across the grass, chasing after a butterfly.
- trudge
walk slowly with heavy steps
文法句型
skip + adverb/preposition (along, down, over)
用法筆記
Commonly describes children or people in a cheerful mood. Frequently takes a direction or location phrase (down, along, over, across).
常見錯誤
2. to take part in an activity where a rope is swung around your body and you jump
to take part in an activity where a rope is swung around your body and you jump as it passes beneath you, done as a game or for fitness.
Selim skips for twenty minutes every morning to stay fit.
The children were skipping in the playground during their break.
used as continuous form for an activity in progress
Nala learnt to skip when she was five years old.
A group of kids were skipping in the park after school.
- jump rope
standard American English term for the activity
文法句型
skip (as an activity, no object)
用法筆記
In British English, this is the usual word for jumping over a rope as exercise. In American English, 'jump rope' is more common, and 'skip' for this sense is rarer.
常見錯誤
3. to cause a rope to swing over your head and under your feet repeatedly by jumpin
to cause a rope to swing over your head and under your feet repeatedly by jumping over it.
Mauricio skipped rope for ten minutes without once getting tangled.
skip + rope as direct object
The coach asked the team to skip rope as part of their warm-up routine.
Devika can skip rope faster than anyone in her class.
Children took turns skipping a long rope turned by two friends.
文法句型
skip + rope
用法筆記
This transitive use ('skip rope') puts the rope as the object. In everyday British English, 'skip' without an object (sense 2) is far more common.
常見錯誤
4. to depart from somewhere in a hurry or without being noticed, usually to avoid a
to depart from somewhere in a hurry or without being noticed, usually to avoid a duty or difficulty.
The tenants skipped town without paying the last month's rent.
skip + town (fixed collocation)
After the fight broke out, the teenagers skipped the bar before the police arrived.
Devika skipped out on her flatmates, leaving them to pay the bills alone.
The singer skipped the country after the scandal broke.
文法句型
skip + town/city/country
skip out on + person/obligation
用法筆記
Strongly informal. Most common in fixed phrases like 'skip town', 'skip the country', or 'skip out on someone'. Often implies avoiding a debt or responsibility.
常見錯誤
❌ 'He skipped the meeting.' (when meaning he simply didn't attend) — Use sense 5 (OMIT OR AVOID) instead. Sense 4 implies leaving somewhere with an element of secrecy or escape.
5. to decide not to do, have, or include something that you would normally do or th
to decide not to do, have, or include something that you would normally do or that is expected.
Rachel skipped breakfast because she was late for work.
skip + noun (a meal)
You can skip the first chapter if you already know the basics.
Sivan skipped going to the gym this morning because she felt tired.
The teacher skipped over the less important details to save time.
文法句型
skip + noun
skip + -ing verb
skip + over (intransitive)
用法筆記
The most frequent sense of 'skip'. The object can be a meal, a class, a meeting, a step in a process, or a portion of content. Intransitive use 'skip over' means to bypass parts of something you are reading or listening to.
常見錯誤
6. when you throw a flat, smooth pebble across water, making it bounce many times o
when you throw a flat, smooth pebble across water, making it bounce many times on the top before it goes under.
Daichi and his brother spent the afternoon skipping stones across the lake.
skip + stone + across + body of water
Lien tried to skip a flat pebble across the pond, but it sank at once.
Can you teach me how to skip stones like that?
Jenna found a perfect flat pebble and skipped it across the river eight times.
- skim
less common; same activity but can also describe movement of birds or aircraft over water
文法句型
skip + stone + across/over + water
go skipping stones
用法筆記
Also called 'ducks and drakes' in British English. The flatness of the stone and the angle of the throw are what make the stone bounce.
常見錯誤
skip — noun
1. a large, strong metal container that a truck brings to a building site or home s
a large, strong metal container that a truck brings to a building site or home so that people can fill it with unwanted rubbish, old furniture, or building materials and have it taken away.
The builders hired a skip to get rid of all the rubble from the renovation.
A skip full of broken bricks and old pipes sits outside the house next door.
a skip full of + noun
We ordered a skip to clear out the garage before moving house.
Neighbours complained about the skip blocking the narrow street for days.
- dumpster
American English equivalent; usually larger and enclosed
- rubbish bin
much smaller, for household use
文法句型
a skip
skip + full of + noun
用法筆記
Chiefly British. In American English, the equivalent is a 'dumpster' (a trademark name that is used generically). Skips are open-topped and delivered by special trucks called 'skip lorries'.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I put the bag in the skip.' (if the reader is American) — American readers would not understand 'skip' as a container; use 'dumpster' for US context.
2. a quick, light jumping movement made by stepping and then hopping with the same
a quick, light jumping movement made by stepping and then hopping with the same foot, especially as part of dancing or walking playfully.
Lien crossed the room with a little skip in her step.
with a skip in [possessive] step
The dance routine included two skips followed by a turn.
The children added a skip to their walk as they grew more excited.
Baraka performed a quick skip before leaping into the air.
文法句型
a skip
with a skip
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'a skip in one's step' to describe a cheerful or energetic mood. As a dance step, it is a basic element in many folk and ballet movements.
3. someone who has vanished or run off, typically because they owe money or want to
someone who has vanished or run off, typically because they owe money or want to stay out of legal trouble.
A landlord hired a private detective to track a skip who owed months of rent.
The company tracks down skips — people who have moved without paying their debts.
commonly used in plural to refer to debtors who disappear
The police issued a warrant for the skip, who had vanished without any warning.
Insurance firms hire agents to locate skips who have changed their names.
文法句型
a skip
用法筆記
Informal and specialised. Most often heard in the context of debt collection or insurance investigation. Not used in general conversation.
4. the person who leads a team in sports like curling and bowls, choosing which sho
the person who leads a team in sports like curling and bowls, choosing which shots the team should play.
The skip decided which stone to aim for and called out instructions to the team.
As skip, Lien was responsible for the team's strategy during the championship match.
as skip — role description
Dahlia was chosen as the new skip because of her calm leadership on the ice.
The skip raised a broom to show the team exactly where to aim.
文法句型
the skip
skip of + team/club
用法筆記
This is the traditional term for the captain or team leader in curling and lawn bowls. In curling, the skip stands at the far end of the ice and directs the players who slide the stones.