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Definition of pace 1 noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pace1

noun
 
 
/peɪs/
 
/peɪs/
Idioms
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  1.  
     [singular, uncountable] the speed at which somebody/something walks, runs or moves
    • at a… pace to set off at a steady/gentle/leisurely pace
    • Congestion frequently reduces traffic to walking pace.
    • The ball gathered pace as it rolled down the hill.
    • The runners have noticeably quickened their pace.
    • Aisha slowed her pace to a walk.
    Extra Examples
    • He's a skilful player with a good turn of pace (= he can move quickly).
    • I set off at a snail's pace to conserve my energy for later in the race.
    • She kept up a pace of ten miles an hour.
    • They set off at a blistering pace.
    • Thinking that she was being followed, she quickened her pace.
    Topics Sports: other sportsb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • blistering
    • breakneck
    • breathtaking
    • …
    verb + pace
    • gather
    • increase
    • quicken
    • …
    pace + verb
    • increase
    • slow
    preposition
    • at a… pace
    • pace of
    phrases
    • at somebody’s own pace
    • at a snail’s pace
    • a change of pace
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
     [singular, uncountable] the speed at which something happens
    • pace of something It is difficult to keep up with the rapid pace of change.
    • I prefer the relaxed pace of life in the country.
    • We encourage all students to work at their own pace (= as fast or as slow as they can).
    • at a… pace The American economy has grown at a record pace.
    • Technology is changing at a blistering pace.
    • The plot moves along at a fast pace.
    • These updates are going to continue at a rapid pace.
    • Rumours of corruption and scandal gathered pace (= increased in number).
    Extra Examples
    • The pace of life is much gentler on the island.
    • I try to get away at weekends for a change of pace.
    • The project had a slow start, but is now gathering pace.
    • the slow pace of economic reform
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • blistering
    • breakneck
    • breathtaking
    • …
    verb + pace
    • gather
    • increase
    • quicken
    • …
    pace + verb
    • increase
    • slow
    preposition
    • at a… pace
    • pace of
    phrases
    • at somebody’s own pace
    • at a snail’s pace
    • a change of pace
    • …
    See full entry
  3. [countable] an act of stepping once when walking or running; the distance travelled when doing this synonym step
    • She took two paces forward.
    • To be a really good runner he needs to lengthen his pace a little.
    • Competitors must stand at a distance of 20 paces from each other.
    Extra Examples
    • I stopped a few paces from the edge of the cliff.
    • Jean followed a few paces behind.
    • You can get a device that counts how many paces you take in an average day.
    • Two bodyguards remained a couple of paces behind the president throughout the walkabout.
    Topics Maths and measurementc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + pace
    • take
    • walk
    • step back
    • …
    preposition
    • pace behind
    • pace from
    See full entry
  4. [uncountable] the fact of something happening, changing, etc. quickly
    • He gave up his job in advertising because he couldn't stand the pace.
    • The novel lacks pace (= it develops too slowly).
    see also fast-paced
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • blistering
    • breakneck
    • breathtaking
    • …
    verb + pace
    • gather
    • increase
    • quicken
    • …
    pace + verb
    • increase
    • slow
    preposition
    • at a… pace
    • pace of
    phrases
    • at somebody’s own pace
    • at a snail’s pace
    • a change of pace
    • …
    See full entry
    5. see also pacy
    Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French pas, from Latin passus ‘stretch (of the leg)’, from pandere ‘to stretch’.
Idioms
at a snail’s pace
  1. very slowly
    • Traffic had slowed to a snail’s pace.
force the pace (especially British English)
  1. to run very fast in a race in order to make the other people taking part run faster
  2. to make somebody do something faster than they want to
    • The demonstrations have succeeded in forcing the pace of change.
go through your paces | show your paces
  1. to perform a particular activity in order to show other people what you are capable of doing
    • We watched the horses going through their paces.
    • The British team showed its paces during a training session in the hotel pool.
keep pace (with somebody/something)
  1. to move, increase, change, etc. at the same speed as somebody/something
    • She found it hard to keep pace with him as he strode off.
    • The younger children struggled to keep pace with the older ones.
    • Until now, wage increases have always kept pace with inflation.
    • The company is struggling to keep pace with changes in the market.
off the pace
  1. (in sport) behind the leader or the leading group in a race or a competition
    • Last year's champion is still three shots off the pace (= in golf).
put somebody/something through their/its paces
  1. to give somebody/something a number of tasks to perform in order to see what they are capable of doing
    • Youngsters will be put through their paces by qualified instructors.
    • We sent our reporter to put Ford’s newest model through its paces.
set the pace
  1. to do something at a particular speed or to a particular standard so that other people are then forced to copy it if they want to be successful
    • The company is no longer setting the pace in the home computer market.
  2. (in a race) to run faster than the other people taking part, at a speed that they then try to copy
    • Willis set the pace for the first mile.
See pace in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee pace in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: pace1

Nearby words

perspective
noun
 
 
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