diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/example.rb b/lib/rspec/core/example.rb
index fb010eb435..c3b0c3bbf4 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/example.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/example.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ def self.delegate_to_metadata(*keys)
         keys.each { |key| define_method(key) { @metadata[key] } }
       end
 
-      delegate_to_metadata :full_description, :execution_result, :file_path, :pending, :location
+      delegate_to_metadata :full_description, :execution_result, :file_path, :location, :skip
+
+      def pending
+        @metadata.fetch(:pending, skip)
+      end
 
       # Returns the string submitted to `example` or its aliases (e.g.
       # `specify`, `it`, etc).  If no string is submitted (e.g. `it { is_expected.to
@@ -94,7 +98,11 @@ def example_group
         @example_group_class
       end
 
-      alias_method :pending?, :pending
+      def skipped?
+        pending || skip
+      end
+
+      alias_method :pending?, :skipped?
 
       # @api private
       # instance_evals the block passed to the constructor in the context of
@@ -107,7 +115,7 @@ def run(example_group_instance, reporter)
         start(reporter)
 
         begin
-          unless pending || RSpec.configuration.dry_run?
+          unless skipped? || RSpec.configuration.dry_run?
             with_around_each_hooks do
               begin
                 run_before_each
@@ -260,7 +268,7 @@ def finish(reporter)
           record_finished 'pending', :pending_message => @pending_declared_in_example
           reporter.example_pending self
           true
-        elsif pending
+        elsif skipped?
           record_finished 'pending', :pending_message => String === pending ? pending : Pending::NO_REASON_GIVEN
           reporter.example_pending self
           true
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb b/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb
index bc9580b61e..8163d8e363 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/example_group.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def self.define_example_method(name, extra_options={})
           define_method(name) do |*all_args, &block|
             desc, *args = *all_args
             options = Metadata.build_hash_from(args)
-            options.update(:pending => RSpec::Core::Pending::NOT_YET_IMPLEMENTED) unless block
+            options.update(:skip => RSpec::Core::Pending::NOT_YET_IMPLEMENTED) unless block
             options.update(extra_options)
             examples << RSpec::Core::Example.new(self, desc, options, block)
             examples.last
@@ -102,16 +102,16 @@ def self.define_example_method(name, extra_options={})
 
         # Shortcut to define an example with :pending => true
         # @see example
-        define_example_method :pending,  :pending => true
+        define_example_method :pending,  :skip => true
         # Shortcut to define an example with :pending => 'Temporarily disabled with xexample'
         # @see example
-        define_example_method :xexample, :pending => 'Temporarily disabled with xexample'
+        define_example_method :xexample, :skip => 'Temporarily disabled with xexample'
         # Shortcut to define an example with :pending => 'Temporarily disabled with xit'
         # @see example
-        define_example_method :xit,      :pending => 'Temporarily disabled with xit'
+        define_example_method :xit,      :skip => 'Temporarily disabled with xit'
         # Shortcut to define an example with :pending => 'Temporarily disabled with xspecify'
         # @see example
-        define_example_method :xspecify, :pending => 'Temporarily disabled with xspecify'
+        define_example_method :xspecify, :skip => 'Temporarily disabled with xspecify'
 
         # Works like `alias_method :name, :example` with the added benefit of
         # assigning default metadata to the generated example.