Standard Lemma guide

skedaddle

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /skɪˈdædɫ̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ædəl

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of running away; a scurrying off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To move or run away quickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, informal, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To spill; to scatter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: regional, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a hasty flight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: escape, flight

5

verb

Meaning 5

run away, as if in a panic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: scat, run, scarper, turn tail, lam, run away, hightail it, bunk, head for the hills, take to the woods, escape, fly the coop, break away

History

Etymology

First use appears c. 1861, in the New York Tribune. The word appeared and gained prominence in Civil War military contexts around 1861, and rapidly passing into more general use. Possibly an alteration of British dialect scaddle (“to run off in a fright”), from the adjective scaddle (“wild, timid, skittish”), from Middle English scathel, skadylle (“harmful, fierce, wild”), perhaps of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin, from Old Norse *sköþull; or from Old English *scaþol, *sceaþol (see scathel); akin to Old Norse skaði (“harm”). Possibly related to the Ancient Greek σκέδασις (skédasis, “scattering”), σκεδασμός (skedasmós, “dispersion”). Possibly related to scud or scat. It is possibly a corruption of "Let's get outa here".

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Weglaufen — Act of running away
  • German: Abhauen — Act of running away
  • German: Flucht — Act of running away
  • Polish: zwiewanie — Act of running away
  • Bulgarian: офейквам (ofejkvam) — move or run away quickly
  • Bulgarian: измъквам се (izmǎkvam se) — move or run away quickly
  • Dutch: vluchten — move or run away quickly
  • Dutch: wegstuiven — move or run away quickly
  • Dutch: het op een lopen zetten — move or run away quickly
  • Finnish: juosta karkuun — move or run away quickly
  • French: déguerpir — move or run away quickly
  • German: abhauen — move or run away quickly
  • German: türmen — move or run away quickly
  • Hungarian: megfutamodik — move or run away quickly
  • Hungarian: elszalad — move or run away quickly
  • Hungarian: elinal — move or run away quickly
  • Hungarian: meglép — move or run away quickly
  • Interlingua: sortir — move or run away quickly
  • Italian: scappare — move or run away quickly
  • Macedonian: бе́га (béga) — move or run away quickly
  • Norwegian Bokmål: stikke av — move or run away quickly
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pigge av — move or run away quickly
  • Norwegian Bokmål: stikke — move or run away quickly
  • Polish: zwiewać — move or run away quickly
  • Polish: zwiać — move or run away quickly
  • Portuguese: dar no pé — move or run away quickly
  • Russian: дра́пать (drápatʹ) — move or run away quickly
  • Russian: улепётывать (ulepjótyvatʹ) — move or run away quickly
  • Russian: удира́ть (udirátʹ) — move or run away quickly
  • Russian: удра́ть (udrátʹ) — move or run away quickly
  • Russian: сма́тываться (smátyvatʹsja) — move or run away quickly
  • Russian: смота́ться (smotátʹsja) — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: largarse — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: irse — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: pirarse — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: pirárselas — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: barajustar — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: barajustarse — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: darse el bote — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: levantar el vuelo — move or run away quickly
  • Spanish: alzar el vuelo — move or run away quickly
  • Swedish: sticka — move or run away quickly
  • Swedish: pysa — move or run away quickly
  • Swedish: dra — move or run away quickly
  • Swedish: kila — move or run away quickly
  • Swedish: rusa — move or run away quickly
  • Swedish: springa — move or run away quickly