1 pace
Pronounced:
/ˈpeɪs/
Function:
nounInflected forms:
plural pac·esMeaning:
1 [singular] a : the speed at which someone or something moves ▪ He can run at a decent pace. [=he can run fairly fast] ▪ We walked at a leisurely pace along the shore. ▪ I told the kids to pick/step up the pace. [=go faster] ▪ He rode his bike up the hill at a snail's pace. [=very slowly] ▪ We encourage you to hike the trail at your own pace. [=at a speed that suits you and lets you be comfortable] b : the speed at which something happens ▪ The pace of the story was slow. ▪ His new album is selling at a blistering/breakneck/dizzying pace. ▪ Despite quickly advancing medical technology, the pace [=(more commonly) rate] of change in her field remained slow and steady. ▪ She liked the fast pace of life in the city. [=she liked the fast way things happened in the city] —see also change of pace
2 [count] : a single step or the length of a single step —usually plural ▪ The tree is about 30 paces from the front door. ▪ The dog walked a few paces behind us.
2 [count] : a single step or the length of a single step —usually plural ▪ The tree is about 30 paces from the front door. ▪ The dog walked a few paces behind us.
go through your paces
: to do something in order to show others how well you do it ▪ The athletes went through their paces as the coaches looked on. ▪ a show horse going through its paces for the judges
keep pace with
: to go or make progress at the same speed as (someone or something else) ▪ Our production can't keep pace with [=keep up with] the orders coming in. ▪ The law has not kept pace with technology. [=the law has not changed fast enough to reflect changes in technology] ▪ She struggles to keep pace with her classmates.
off the pace
US : behind in a race, competition, etc. ▪ The winner finished in 4 minutes, 30 seconds, and the next runner was three seconds off the pace. [=finished three seconds later] ▪ The other runners were way off the pace.
put someone or something through his/her/its paces
: to test what someone or something can do ▪ We brought home three different computers and put them through their paces.
set the pace
: to be the one that is at the front in a race and that controls how fast the other racers have to go ▪ As our fastest runner, he usually sets the pace for the rest of the team. —often used figuratively ▪ The company's advanced equipment sets the pace for the recording industry. —see also pacesetter