sky

UK: /ˈskaɪ/ US: /skaɪ/ ,(skī)

Inflections of 'sky' (n): npl: skies

Inflections of 'sky' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

skies

v 3rd person singular

skying

v pres p

skied

v past

skyed

v past

skied

v past p

skyed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sky /skaɪ/   n., pl. skies, v., skied or skyed, sky•ing. 
n. 

1. the region of the clouds or the upper air;
   heavens;
   firmament: [countable; often: the + ~;
   often: skies]
   The sun can be seen in the sky today.
   [uncountable] There was a lot of blue sky in Montana.
2. the climate:
   [countable* often: skies] the sunny skies of Italy.

v. [~ + object]

3. Informal Terms to raise, throw, or hit aloft or into the air:
   The batter skied the next ball high to right field.

Idioms

4. Idioms out of a or the clear (blue) sky, [uncountable] without any advance warning:
   One day out of a clear blue sky he was fired, just like that.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sky  (skī), n., pl. skies, v. skied or skyed, sky•ing. 
n. Often, skies (for defs. 1–4). 

1. the region of the clouds or the upper air;
   the upper atmosphere of the earth:
   airplanes in the sky; cloudy skies.
2. the heavens or firmament, appearing as a great arch or vault.
3. the supernal or celestial heaven:
   They looked to the sky for help.
4. the climate:
   the sunny skies of Italy.
5. [Obs.] a cloud.
6. out of a or the clear sky, without advance notice or warning;
   abruptly:
   An old beau phoned her out of a clear sky.
   Also, out of a or the clear blue sky. 
7. to the skies, with lavishness or enthusiasm;
   extravagantly:
   to praise someone to the skies.
   Also, to the sky. 

v.t. 

8. Informal Terms to raise, throw, or hit aloft or into the air.
9. Informal Terms to hang (a painting) high on a wall, above the line of vision.
10. sky up, [Falconry.] (of prey, when flushed) to fly straight upward.

• Old Norse skȳ cloud, cognate with Old English scēo cloud
• Middle English 1175–1225

sky′less, adj. 
sky′like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sky / skaɪ/ noun (skies)

1. (sometimes plural) the apparently dome-shaped expanse extending upwards from the horizon that is characteristically blue or grey during the day, red in the evening, and black at night
2. outer space, as seen from the earth
3. (often plural) weather, as described by the appearance of the upper air: sunny skies
4. the source of divine power; heaven
5. the highest level of attainment: the sky's the limit
6. to the skies ⇒ highly; extravagantly

verb (skies, skying, skied)

1. to lift (the blade of an oar) too high before a stroke
2. (transitive) to hit (a ball) high in the air

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old Norse skӯ; related to Old English scio cloud, Old Saxon skio, Old Norse skjār transparent skin