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.
to peel or cut (the outer layer) from (something)
to cut the edges from (the nails); trim
to decrease bit by bit
See peel 1.
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Zola’s Forrest suggested that I could pare back my gift giving from $150 to $50, or an amount that won’t cause financial stress.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
Surging U.S. seaborne oil exports and China’s willingness to pare back on its own seaborne imports have also helped shield the world from higher prices.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
President Vladimir Putin will have been reluctant to pare back a parade that is always choreographed to portray Russian strength.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
Major importers in Asia and Europe are racing to wean themselves from Middle Eastern fossil fuels, pare back their energy usage or ramp up domestic production.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
It was necessary to pare down faith to a set of core beliefs in order to make it defensible.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
