1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reduce something to its minimum or most essential form by carefully removing unnecessary elements.
"The director had to pare down the original three-hour cut to under two hours for general release."
separable
pare down
B2 neutral separable transitive
To reduce something carefully to its essential elements by removing what is unnecessary.
In plain English
Cut something down by taking away the parts that are not needed, until only the most important parts are left.
What does "pare down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reduce costs, a workforce, or a budget by cutting what is not essential.
"In response to falling revenue, the company pared down its workforce from 500 to 320 employees."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
From 'pare' (to peel a fruit or vegetable) — cutting away the outer layers down to the core; idiomatic when applied to abstract things.
Actually means
Cut something down by taking away the parts that are not needed, until only the most important parts are left.
Usage tip
Used for budgets, text, teams, processes, and collections. The metaphor comes from paring (peeling) fruit. Implies a deliberate, sometimes difficult process of reduction. Common in business and editorial contexts.
Words that pair with "pare down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
budget costs team list speech workforce
How to conjugate "pare down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
pare down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pares down
he/she/it
Past simple
pared down
yesterday
Past participle
pared down
have + pp
-ing form
paring down
continuous
Hear "pare down" in the wild
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