sky
gb/skˈaɪ/ us/skˈaɪ/
A1
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
the space above the earth
The area you see when you look up outside, including clouds, sun, and stars.
Usage pattern:
the [adjective] sky
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sky' with 'heaven', but 'sky' refers to the physical atmosphere, not a religious place.
Synonyms
heavens (More poetic or literary than 'sky', often used in religious or figurative contexts.)
Antonyms
ground (Refers to the solid surface of the Earth, opposite to the sky above it.)
Collocations
clear sky
|blue sky
|night sky
|cloudy sky
|open sky
Themes
nature
|weather
|astronomy
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The sky was a deep shade of blue.
- Dark clouds gathered in the sky before the storm.
- At night, the sky was full of stars.
- Birds were flying high in the sky.
- They lay on the grass, watching the sky.
Learner examples
- The sky is blue today.
- I see a plane in the sky.
- There are many clouds in the sky.
- The moon is in the night sky.
Verb
informal
B1
action
2
to throw or hit high up
To send something high into the air by throwing, hitting, or kicking it.
Usage pattern:
to sky [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'sky' here means 'fly', but it's specifically about sending something high up, often too high by mistake.
Synonyms
launch (Implies sending something upward with force; can be more formal or technical.)
Antonyms
ground (In sports, to hit or direct a ball so it stays low or on the ground.)
Collocations
sky the ball
|sky a shot
Themes
sports
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He skied the ball way over the goal.
- She accidentally skied her shot into the stands.
- The player skied his kick under pressure.
Learner examples
- He skied the ball over the net.
- I skied my shot in football.
- She skied it far away.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sky
IPA
GB/skˈaɪ/
US/skˈaɪ/
Syllables & stress
sky (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sky)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sky
- Plural: skies, sky
Verb
- Base: sky
- 3rd Person Singular: skies
- Present Participle: skying
- Past: skied
Word family
Forms
skies
noun
skying
verb
skied
verb
Related words
Advanced or less common
skyward
adverb B2
skyrocket
verb
Expressions
out of the clear blue sky
1/ˈaʊt əv ðə klˈɪɹ blˈu skˈaɪ/
idiom
suddenly and without warning
Happening suddenly when you are not expecting it.
Examples
- Out of the clear blue sky, he called me after ten years.
- The idea came to me out of the clear blue sky.
reach for the sky
1/ɹˈit͡ʃ fɚ ðə skˈaɪ/
idiom
aim for very high goals
To try to do something that is very difficult or impressive.
Examples
- She always tells her students to reach for the sky.
- We should reach for the sky if we want to succeed.
sky-high
1/skˈaɪ hˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
extremely high in amount or level
Very high in amount, price, or level.
Examples
- The rent in this city is sky-high.
- Her confidence was sky-high after winning the award.
under the same sky
1/ˈʌndɚ ðə sˈeɪm skˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
literary
in different places but connected by same world
In different places but living in the same world.
Examples
- Though far apart, we live under the same sky.
- We are all under the same sky, no matter where we are.