skating

skating — noun

1. a pastime or athletic discipline where people wear boots fitted with metal runne

1.nounA2
Definition

a pastime or athletic discipline where people wear boots fitted with metal runners or wheels to move smoothly across ice or a hard, level area

Example

Every Saturday morning, Ignacio goes skating at the indoor rink near his school.

go + skating (gerund) for regular leisure activities

Putri bought new roller skates and practiced skating in the park each evening.

Common collocations
  • go skating
  • take up skating
  • ice skating
  • roller skating
  • figure skating
  • speed skating
  • skating rink
  • skating competition
  • skating lessons
  • skating coach
  • skating boots
Synonyms
  • ice skating

    specifically refers to moving on ice with bladed boots; a hyponym of skating

  • roller skating

    specifically refers to moving on hard surfaces with wheeled boots; a hyponym of skating

  • gliding

    a more poetic or technical term for the smooth motion of skating, less common in everyday conversation

Grammar Patterns

go + skating

take up + skating

skating + noun (attributive use)

Usage Note

In English, 'skating' without extra context usually refers to ice skating in colder regions and to roller skating in warmer ones. Speakers often specify 'ice skating' or 'roller skating' for clarity. The word also appears in compound sport names such as 'figure skating,' 'speed skating,' and 'inline skating.'

Common Mistakes

I went skiing on the frozen lake.
I went skating on the frozen lake.
Skiing uses long skis on snow-covered slopes; skating uses skates with blades on ice.
Idioms

be skating on thin ice

idiom

to be in a risky situation where your actions could easily cause trouble or get you into serious difficulty

Eli knew he was skating on thin ice by arriving late for the third time this month.

The politician was skating on thin ice after making promises she could not keep.

be skating/walking on thin ice

idiom

This means doing something that could be dangerous or cause trouble.

Maya knew she was skating on thin ice by lying to her boss.

Are you walking on thin ice by investing all your savings in that risky stock?

Word family

  • skate
    nounA2
  • skate
    verbA2
  • skater
    nounA2
  • ice skating
    nounA2
  • roller skating
    nounA2
  • figure skating
    nounB1
  • speed skating
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Skating is the general term for gliding on blades or wheels for fun, exercise, or competition. Ice skating specifically refers to moving across ice with bladed boots, usually at indoor rinks or on frozen outdoor bodies of water. Roller skating uses boots with four wheels (two in front, two in back) on hard, flat surfaces like paved paths or roller rinks. While both are forms of skating, the equipment and surface differ. Skateboarding, by contrast, involves a short wooden board with four wheels — the rider stands on the board and pushes off the ground with one foot. A learner might say 'Let's go skating' before a trip to an ice rink, but if they mean using roller skates in a park, they should say 'roller skating' to avoid confusion. Each activity has its own equipment, technique, and typical setting.

ice skatingroller skatingskateboarding

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • go skating
  • take up skating
  • a skating rink

Prepositions

  • on (skating on ice / on a rink)
  • in (skating in the park / in a competition)
  • across (skating across the lake / across the floor)

Etymology

Old North FrenchDutchEnglish

The word 'skating' is formed by adding the suffix '-ing' to the noun 'skate,' which entered English in the 17th century from the Dutch word 'schaats' (a long piece of metal or bone used to glide on ice). The Dutch term itself came from Old North French 'escache,' meaning a stilt or support for walking. The modern sense of roller skating emerged in the 1700s when inventors attached wheels to ice skates for use on dry ground, and the word 'skating' gradually broadened to cover both ice and wheeled varieties.