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Glite Dictionary
📄 Read quickly 🕊️ Move lightly above
to skim over

to skim over

1 3.8
To read quickly without looking at details
  • phrasal verb
  • /skɪm ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : hojear
  • Before the exam, I skimmed over my notes to memorize the key facts.
  • eyes skim over
  • fingers skimmed over

Ohm, my goodness, I'm just gonna skim over that anyways. But look it up. No, no new big topic.

Examples

  • For class pre readings you should probably just skim over the entire document and then take really good notes in class.

  • I thought of that saying this past week as I skimmed over a press release from U.S. Senator Al Franken.

    Blog text (10)

  • If you just skimmed over it, I want you to stop, go back, and take it in.

    Blog text (34)

  • I only skimmed over it, since it was quite long, but these three things stood out.

    Blog text (32)

  • I skimmed over his suggestions, thinking he wanted what everyone wanted: plot.

    Academic text (2009)

  • I'm confused how someone could even skim over this conversation and think that's what people believe.

    Blog text (4)

  • There was a lengthy part she skimmed over about the baby's health and the financial arrangements with the foster parents.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Sybill sat back, tapping her fingers on the desk as she skimmed over her notes.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • She quickly skimmed over the article, looking for relevant information for her project.

  • While waiting for the meeting, he skimmed over the agenda to prepare his thoughts.

Synonyms

to scan
vsto skim over
127 2.7

To look quickly to find specific information

reads quickly for overall sense rather than to locate facts
to glance over
vsto skim over
18 3.2

Look at something quickly without reading it carefully

focuses on brief reading rather than a simple quick look
to leaf
vsto skim over
17 6.5

To turn pages quickly without reading everything

is focused on quick reading, not only on turning pages
to rake
vsto skim over
16 6.3

To look quickly through something to find an item or fact

is less rough and more focused on quick reading than on rough checking
to skim
vsto skim over
1 2.7

Read something quickly without looking at details

is the phrasal form of the same quick reading action
to dip into
vsto skim over
1 5.1

Read parts of a book or magazine rather than all of it

is about reading the full text quickly, not sampling parts
to skate over
vsto skim over
  • Informal
1 6.9

Handle a problem quickly without looking at the details

applies to quick reading specifically rather than general handling

Antonyms

to study
∞ 1.0

To look at something carefully to understand it

to examine
868 2.5

To look at something carefully to find facts or problems

How Thorough

study
353 1.1
read
176 2.8
to skim over
1 3.8
to scan
127 2.7
to glance at
150 2.0

Surface Forms

skim over infinitive
skimmed over past
skimmed over past participle
skimming over present participle
skims over third person singular

Morphology

skim + over

The meaning 'to read or examine quickly' is directly derived from combining 'skim' (to read/ glance through quickly) with 'over' (indicating scanning across or through). This verb + particle composition is a common, compositional pattern (compare Spanish 'leer por encima'/'mirar por encima') and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Skim over for reading may come from that same picture: your eyes skim over a page like a stone skipping on water, barely stopping on words. That's why it means 'to read quickly and without looking at the details'.