VocabauraVOCABAURA

skid

noun · verb

Simple meaning

An out-of-control sliding motion as would result from applying the brakes too hard in a car or other vehicle.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

skid
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈskɪd

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. An out-of-control sliding motion as would result from applying the brakes too hard in a car or other vehicle.

  2. A shoe or clog, as of iron, attached to a chain, and placed under the wheel of a wagon to prevent its turning when descending a steep hill.

  3. A piece of timber or other material used as a support, or to receive pressure.

  4. A runner of a sled.

  5. A ski-shaped runner or supporting surface as found on a helicopter or other aircraft in place of wheels.

  6. A basic platform for the storage and transport of goods, machinery or equipment, later developed into the pallet.

verb

  1. Slide without control

    “The car skidded in the curve on the wet road.”

  2. intransitiveof a wheelsled runneror vehicle tracks

    To slide along the ground, without the rotary motion that wheels or tracks would normally have.

  3. intransitive

    To slide in an uncontrolled manner as in a car with the brakes applied too hard, the wheels sliding with limited spinning.

  4. transitive

    To protect or support with a skid or skids.

  5. transitive

    To cause to move on skids.

  6. transitive

    To check or halt (wagon wheels, etc.) with a skid.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: An out-of-control sliding motion as would result from applying the brakes too hard in a car or other vehicle.

Used this way, skid is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “skid”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Pair

skid row

Shoe / hook

skid mark

Basic

landing skid

Other combinations

skid roadskid plateskid resistancetail skidwheel skid

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • skid lidnounCompound term

    A crash helmet.

  • skid roadnounCompound term

    The district of a town frequented by loggers.

  • landing skidnounCompound term

    One of two parts of the landing gear of a helicopter.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “skid” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.