apace
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of apace
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English a pas(e) “at a (good) pace”; see a- 1, pace 1
Explanation
When something happens apace, it happens quickly. You could say that despite the rain, your house painting project is still continuing apace. You're most likely to see the adverb apace describing some kind of work, and it's usually paired up with the verb continue. A harried theater director might insist that progress on the new play continues apace, or you might notice that your next door neighbor's chicken coop construction is continuing apace, progressing rapidly. The literal meaning of the 14th century phrase a pace was "at a pace," or "at a good pace."
Vocabulary lists containing apace
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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Julius Caesar
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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.
The targeting of oil refineries has continued apace.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The bigger focus was on whether the flood of AI spending will keep apace, and if that keeps fueling a broadening of the stock-market rally and the growth of the U.S. economy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
There is also some relief from Magnificent Seven earnings that AI spending will continue apace.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
Just a few months ago, Trojena appeared to be one of the few projects at Neom—envisioned to hold nine million people—that was proceeding apace, even as other components of the site were facing major cutbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
But they are much faster, flying through the underbrush so gracefully as my boots catch on roots and fallen tree limbs, that there's no way I can keep apace with them.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
