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change of pace

change of pace

18 3.2
An activity that is different from your normal routine to give you a pleasant break
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : cambio de ritmo
  • After weeks of routine workouts, trying yoga for a week was a welcome change of pace.

So whilst it maybe wasn't a change of pace, what, what did you learn about yourself in that.

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Examples

  • Relaxing, and a welcome change of pace, if only for a few minutes.

    Blog text (22)
  • Just for a change of pace.

  • I need a change of pace.

  • All you need is a change of pace.

  • You need a little change of pace.

  • This is a real change of pace for you.

  • It's a great change of pace.

  • Yeah, that'd be a nice change of pace.

  • I'd promised myself one more module before rejoining the kids, and I definitely needed a change of pace.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • It's such a refreshing change of pace from that dreadful embezzler... what's his name again?

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

change of scenery
vschange of pace
  • Informal
18 3.3

A trip to a new place to feel refreshed

offers a different activity or experience rather than just moving locations
new adventure
vschange of pace
15 3.3

An exciting experience that is not familiar and brings new challenges

offers a milder low risk variation in routine rather than an exciting challenge

Antonyms

354 1.0

A regular way of doing things

14 5.5

A boring feeling when things are the same again and again

How Different

to overhaul
35 4.6
departure
52 3.7
shift
363 3.5
change of pace
  • Informal
18 3.2
variation
113 3.0
break
1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

change + of + pace

The meaning is compositionally a ‘change in pace’ — literally a change in tempo or rate — so a learner who knows ‘change’ and ‘pace’ can infer it refers to a variation from the usual routine. The preposition ‘of’ only links the nouns and the use of ‘pace’ metaphorically for rate of activity is common cross-linguistically, making the sense predictable for B1 learners.

Etymology

The expression change of pace comes from the simple image of changing how fast you walk or run: pace is the speed you move and change is to do it differently. That's why a change of pace now means doing something 'different from your usual routine' to get a nice break.