1 B1 neutral
to continue skating forward on a surface
"The children laughed and skated on across the frozen pond."
inseparable
skate on
C1 neutral inseparable intransitive
to continue moving or continue lightly without engaging deeply
In plain English
to keep going smoothly without stopping
What does "skate on" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
to continue lightly or superficially without properly engaging with something
"The speaker skated on as if no difficult question had been asked."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to continue skating on a surface
Actually means
to keep going smoothly without stopping
Usage tip
Rare as a phrasal verb in figurative use. Most occurrences are literal rather than idiomatic.
Words that pair with "skate on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
ice surface ahead without stopping
How to conjugate "skate on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
skate on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
skates on
he/she/it
Past simple
skated on
yesterday
Past participle
skated on
have + pp
-ing form
skating on
continuous
Hear "skate on" in the wild
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Other ways to say "skate on"
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