Meaning & use
pace around
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To walk back and forth in the same area, again and again, usually because of worry, impatience or deep thought.
Grammar: No object follows the verb itself; a place can be added with around: he paced around the hall.
Patterns
- pace around
- pace around something
- pace around the room/hall/office
She paced around while waiting for the doctor to call her name.
He kept pacing around the kitchen, checking his phone every few seconds.
The students paced around the corridor before the exam started.
verbintransitive
To move in circles or in no fixed direction within a small space, often out of boredom or restlessness.
Grammar: Often used with around or about; the focus is on restless movement rather than a destination.
Patterns
- pace around
- pace about
The dog paced around the yard all afternoon because nobody would play with it.
Guests paced around the lobby, tired after the long flight.
Word forms
| third person singular | paces around |
|---|---|
| past tense | paced around |
| past participle | paced around |
| -ing form | pacing around |
Common combinations
- pace around the room
- He paced around the room, rehearsing his speech.
- pace around nervously
- She paced around nervously until the results appeared online.
- pace around in circles
- The toddler paced around in circles, giggling.
- keep pacing around
- Stop pacing around and sit down for a minute.
Synonyms and how they differ
- walk up and down
- Very close in meaning, but it describes the same back-and-forth movement without necessarily suggesting worry.
- wander
- Wander means moving without a clear purpose over a wider area; pacing around stays in one small space.
- march
- March suggests firm, regular steps, often in anger or determination, rather than restless worry.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: pace around or pace out?
pace around vs pace out
Pace out means to measure a distance by counting your steps, which is a different action from restless walking.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pace around' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Pace around' is intransitive and shows restless movement in a place, so 'paced around the waiting room' fits. Option 2 wrongly uses it to mean travel toward a destination, and option 3 wrongly gives it a direct object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pace around”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.