pare
verb (used with object)
to cut off the outer coating, layer, or part of.
pare
1 American
[pair]
/ pɛər /
verb (used with object)
-
pares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pared,
past participle, past
-
paring
present participle
-
to cut off the outer coating, layer, or part of.
-
to remove (an outer coating, layer, or part) by cutting (often followed by off oraway ).
-
to reduce or remove by or as by cutting; diminish or decrease gradually (often followed bydown ).
to pare down one's expenses.
- Antonyms:
- increase
Paré
2
American
[pa -rey]
/ paˈreɪ /
noun
pare
1
British
/ pɛə /
verb
-
to peel or cut (the outer layer) from (something)
-
to cut the edges from (the nails); trim
-
to decrease bit by bit
Paré
2
British
/ pare /
noun
Synonym Usage
See peel 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
paresimple
-
paressimple
-
have paredperfect
-
has paredperfect
-
am paringprogressive
-
are paringprogressive
-
is paringprogressive
-
have been paringperfect progressive
-
has been paringperfect progressive
Past
-
paredsimple
-
had paredperfect
-
was paringprogressive
-
were paringprogressive
-
had been paringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pare
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English paren, from Middle French parer, “to make ready, trim” from Latin parāre ”to prepare, make ready“; see origin at prepare
Explanation
To pare is to trim — like when you pare branches on a tree or pare down your expenses to save money. Pare comes from the Latin word parare, meaning "to prepare." Think of peeling potatoes, which you might do with a paring knife, or paring your nails so you'll make a neat appearance. In each case, you are trimming something gradually. If you pare down your expectations, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Vocabulary lists containing pare
"The Railway Train" by Emily Dickinson
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Twelfth Night
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Our Town
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That suggests the scenario analysts predicted during the initial blockade this spring—that Iran would have to pare back output to keep its backed-up oil from hitting the “tank tops” of available storage—is playing out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
It worked to pare down menus and offer dinner deals, and rolled out items like slow-braised pot roast and hash-brown casserole shepherd’s pie.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
News that shipping continued in the Red Sea helped investors pare the gains on Friday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Nasdaq futures were in the green, though software stocks failed to pare back significantly the last session’s sharp losses in premarket trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The advice to omit needless words should not be confused with the puritanical edict that all writers must pare every sentence down to the shortest, leanest, most abstemious version possible.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Ms. Paré spotted an opportunity, within this culture of sharing recipes, to establish her business.
From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2023
Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré told reporters that officers were familiar with McLean, who has mental health issues but no criminal history.
From Fox News ● Feb. 10, 2022
Talk about what resources your parents plan to use to pay for care, Paré says.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2021
Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré told residents Wednesday night at an emergency neighborhood association meeting that police were ensuring their safety.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 29, 2018
His mother followed him here, and at Mary's instance the great surgeon Ambrose Paré was summoned.
From In Château Land by Anne Hollingsworth Wharton
First, the order pares the list of recommended immunizations to 11 diseases from 17.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Her style, she explains, pares food down to its essentials, and she rarely uses more than three colours to aid wearability.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
CrowdStrike pares back the last session’s losses following an upgrade at Wolfe Research.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
Second, the Saudi turn from the path of Abraham comes as the kingdom pares or abandons several high-profile projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
The Old Dominion was accustomed to thinking of itself as primus inter pares in any confederation of states.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The closely watched level was crossed overnight after comments from Fed Gov. Waller pared expectations of aggressive rate hikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The two main contracts Brent and West Texas Intermediate pared their gains Wednesday and on Thursday they edged lower, though news of fresh US attacks tempered the selling.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Shein pared some losses, ending the day with a decline of about 4% at HK$46.58, or $5.94.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
It pared some gains to close at 845 yuan, up 460 percent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
She had been pared down like this before, when she had travelled up the mountains into rare snow—alone in white not unlike being alone in black.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
Brent crude spiked above $99 a barrel before paring gains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The stock plunged as much as 25% in premarket trading soon after the results, before paring losses.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Vaccine scientists have said parents shouldn’t be concerned that vaccines cause autism and that there is no scientific justification for dramatically paring down the childhood vaccine schedule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Rheinmetall shares were up almost nine percent at 1310 GMT, before paring gains.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
On it were several paring knives, a corkscrew, an oversized container of sun lotion, and a water bottle.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
