pace

/peɪs/ noun [C or U]

Definition

› the speed at which something happens or is done: a fast/rapid pace a slow/leisurely/sustainable pace Their economy is expanding at an increasing pace. They are struggling to keep up with the pace of change in the industry.

force the pace › to make things happen more quickly or to force other people to do things more quickly: New technologies are forcing the pace of globalization. There will be no attempt to force the pace at next week's meeting.

keep pace with sb/sth › to manage to do things at the same time or speed as someone else, or as quickly as necessary: They simply can't keep pace with the competition. We need to keep pace with the latest IT developments.

pick up/gather pace › to start to happen more quickly: The recovery from the global economic crisis is now gathering pace.

put sb/sth through their paces › to make someone show you their skills and knowledge, or to test how well something works: As the machines come off the assembly line, a team of quality controllers puts them through their paces. The interview panel will put all candidates through their paces especially in relation to financial skills.

set the pace › to be the first to do new things or to do them particularly well, so that other people or organizations have to follow your example if they want to succeed: The company has set the pace for flexibility and rapid turnaround of orders. The department is setting the pace with its use of virtual technology.

(Definition of pace noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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