pace

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The speed at which someone moves, works, or things happen.

   Grammar: Countable with a: at a slow pace; uncountable in fixed phrases like at your own pace.

   Patterns

   • at a ... pace
   • the pace of something
   • keep pace with someone

   She walked at a steady pace along the river.

   The pace of change in the industry is surprising.

   He set a fast pace from the first minute of the race.

2. 2nouncountable

   A single step forward, or the length of that step.

   Grammar: Countable: one pace, two paces; often used for measuring distance.

   Patterns

   • take a pace
   • a few paces from something

   Take two paces back and stand still.

   The dog stopped a few paces from the gate.

   He measured the room in paces.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitive

   To walk back and forth in a small area, usually because of worry or impatience.

   Grammar: Can take an object (pace the room) or stand alone with an adverb (pace up and down).

   Patterns

   • pace up and down
   • pace the room
   • pace around something

   She paced the hallway while she waited for the call.

   He paced up and down outside the office.

   The lion paced around its cage.

4. 4verbtransitive

   To set the speed for someone else in a race or activity.

   Grammar: Takes an object: pace a runner or pace yourself.

   Patterns

   • pace someone
   • pace yourself

   Another runner paced him for the first ten kilometers.

   Pace yourself, or you will be tired before the end.

   She paced the group on the long climb.

Word forms

Common combinations

keep pace with

Our salaries have not kept pace with prices.

at your own pace

You can finish the course at your own pace.

a change of pace

A quiet weekend was a nice change of pace.

set the pace

The first runner set the pace for the whole field.

pace up and down

He paced up and down while the doctor spoke to us.

Synonyms and how they differ

speed

Speed is the general word for how fast something moves; pace often suggests a steady or chosen rate.

rate

Rate is used for how often or how fast something happens over time, not for the movement of a person.

step

Step means one movement of the foot; pace can also mean the length or speed of those steps.

Word family

pacing noun

the act of walking back and forth, or the way a race is run.

pacey adjective

fast and exciting, especially of a story or game.

Commonly confused: pace or peace?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pace”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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