English Reference
Idiom idiom

skip a beat


To momentarily falter.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

She played the song perfectly without skipping a beat.

CONTEXTUAL

Even when the interviewer asked a difficult question, he answered without skipping a beat.

COMPLEX

The seasoned performer navigated the technical failure on stage with such grace that she did not skip a beat.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beat a dead horse

    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

  2. 02

    beat a retreat

    To leave hastily in the face of opposition.

  3. 03

    beat around the bush

    To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally.

  4. 04

    beat as one

    To share the same feelings.

  5. 05

    beat Banaghan

    To tell wonderful stories, or something which is amazing and remarkable.

  6. 06

    beat feet

    To run.

  7. 07

    beat it

    To leave; to go away.

  8. 08

    beat off

    To masturbate by stimulating one's own penis.

Last updated August 10, 2026