pay
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to settle (a debt, obligation, etc.), as by transferring money or goods, or by doing something.
Please pay your bill.
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to give over (a certain amount of money) in exchange for something.
He paid twenty dollars for the shirt.
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to transfer money as compensation or recompense for work done or services rendered; to satisfy the claims of (a person, organization, etc.), as by giving money due.
He paid me for my work.
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to defray (cost or expense).
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to give compensation for.
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to yield a recompense or return to; be profitable to.
Your training will pay you well in the future.
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to yield as a return.
The stock paid six percent last year.
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to requite, as for good, harm, or an offense.
How can I pay her for her kindness and generosity?
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to give or render (attention, respects, compliments, etc.), as if due or fitting.
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to make (a call, visit, etc.).
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to suffer in retribution.
You'll pay the penalty for your stubbornness!
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Nautical. to let (a ship) fall off to leeward.
verb (used without object)
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to transfer money, goods, etc., as in making a purchase or settling a debt.
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to discharge a debt or obligation.
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to yield a return, profit, or advantage; be worthwhile.
It pays to be courteous.
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to give compensation, as for damage or loss sustained.
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to suffer or be punished for something; atone.
The murderer paid with his life.
noun
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the act of paying or being paid; payment.
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wages, salary, or a stipend.
- Synonyms:
- allowance, income, honorarium, fee, emolument, remuneration
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a person with reference to solvency or reputation for meeting obligations.
The bank regards him as good pay.
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paid employment.
One of the army officers was actually in the pay of the enemy.
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reward or punishment; requital.
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a rock stratum from which petroleum is obtained.
adjective
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requiring subscribed or monthly payment for use or service.
With pay TV, you can watch hit movies from the comfort of your own home.
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operable or accessible on deposit of a coin or coins.
Do you have any change for the pay toilet?
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of or relating to payment.
verb phrase
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pay for to suffer or be punished for.
The corrupt cop finally pays for his sins when the gang betrays him.
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pay back. see payback.
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pay up
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to pay fully.
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to pay on demand.
The gangsters used threats of violence to force the shopkeepers to pay up.
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pay down
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to pay (part of the total price) at the time of purchase, with the promise to pay the balance in installments.
On this plan you pay only ten percent down.
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to pay off or back; amortize.
The company's debt is being paid down rapidly.
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pay off. see payoff.
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pay out. see payout.
idioms
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pay it forward, to express gratitude for kindness or good fortune by doing good for someone else.
People were very helpful to us, so we want to pay it forward to other entrepreneurs just starting out.
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pay one's / its way,
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to pay one's portion of shared expenses.
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to yield a return on one's investment sufficient to repay one's expenses.
It will take time for the restaurant to begin paying its way.
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pay as you go,
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to pay for (goods, services, etc.) at the time of purchase, as opposed to buying on credit.
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to spend no more than income permits; keep out of debt.
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to pay income tax by regular deductions from one's salary or wages.
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verb (used with object)
verb
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to discharge (a debt, obligation, etc) by giving or doing something
he paid his creditors
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to give (money) to (a person) in return for goods or services
they pay their workers well
they pay by the hour
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to give or afford (a person) a profit or benefit
it pays one to be honest
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(tr) to give or bestow (a compliment, regards, attention, etc)
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(tr) to make (a visit or call)
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to give compensation or make amends
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(tr) to yield a return of
the shares pay 15 per cent
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to give or do (something equivalent) in return; pay back
he paid for the insult with a blow
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(tr; past tense and past participle paid or payed) nautical to allow (a vessel) to make leeway
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informal to acknowledge or accept (something) as true, just, etc
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to contribute one's share of expenses
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to remain solvent without outside help
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noun
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money given in return for work or services; a salary or wage
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( as modifier )
a pay slip
pay claim
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paid employment (esp in the phrase in the pay of )
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(modifier) requiring the insertion of money or discs before or during use
a pay phone
a pay toilet
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(modifier) rich enough in minerals to be profitably mined or worked
pay gravel
verb
Usage
what is a basic definition of pay? Pay means to give money to someone to settle a debt or obligation. Pay also means to give money in exchange for something. Pay is also a person’s salary or wages. Pay has many other senses as a verb and a noun. Pay means to settle a bill or a debt, such as paying the check at a restaurant or paying your electric bill. Sometimes you can pay in advance, meaning you pay for the product or service before you receive it. The past tense of the verb pay is paid. Real-life examples: Homeowners pay their mortgages. Citizens pay taxes to the government. College students often have to pay student loans. Used in a sentence: I always keep enough money in the bank to pay my rent on time. Pay also means to give someone money for a product or service. Real-life examples: A person might pay $20 for some old shirts. A parent may pay a store $50 for a gift for their child. A rich person may pay $5 million for a mansion. Used in a sentence: She paid the actor $5 for an autographed picture. Pay is also the money a person earns in exchange for their labor. This sense of pay is a synonym of salary or earnings. Real-life examples: When you have a job, you earn your pay. A doctor has a much higher pay than a teenager working a part-time job. Workers often go on strike or negotiate with the company to try and get a better pay. Used in a sentence: He may not like his job that much, but he never complains about the pay.
Synonym Usage
Pay, wage or wages, salary, stipend are terms for amounts of money or equivalent benefits, usually given at a regular rate or at regular intervals, in return for services. Pay is the general term: His pay went up every year. Wage usually designates the pay given at an hourly, daily, or weekly rate, often for manual or semiskilled work; wages usually means the cumulative amount paid at regular intervals for such work: an hourly wage; weekly wages. Salary designates a fixed, periodic payment for regular work or services, usually computed on a monthly or yearly basis: an annual salary paid in twelve equal monthly installments. Stipend designates a periodic payment, either as a professional salary or, more commonly, as a salary in return for special services or as a grant in support of creative or scholarly work: an annual stipend for work as a consultant; a stipend to cover living expenses.
Etymology
Origin of pay1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English paien, payen, from Old French paier, paiier, from Medieval Latin pācāre “to satisfy, settle (a debt),” Latin: “to impose a settlement on”; cf. peace
Origin of pay2
First recorded in 1610–20; from Middle French poier, Old French peier, from Latin picāre “to smear with pitch,” derivative of pix (stem pic- ) pitch 2
Explanation
When you pay, you give money in return for something. It’s not always money, though. If your brother says, “You’ll pay for this!” after you snooped in his room, he’s not talking about money. He means you’re going to get it! Your neighbor might pay you to shovel his driveway — and you can take the money you earn and pay for movie tickets for you and your best friend. Whenever there's an exchange of money and goods (or services), someone pays someone else. It can also be used for ideas. If your teacher warns your class that "crime doesn't pay," she means you might get money but it's not worth it. Education does pay, though, because it makes you smarter.
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:
Weber alleged that after she raised concerns about gender pay disparities, she was pressured to resign her vice provost job and was fired when she refused to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The new service will let traders and investors pay for real-time feed of Truth Social posts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Aysen Slack, who used to pay for fampridine privately until it became too costly, said the decision would make a "huge difference".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in damages.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Hear, all you newly free men, you must pay me for the favor I've done you," said Don Quixote to the scattering men.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
He rolled back many of the counter-tariffs imposed by his predecessor Justin Trudeau and apologized to Trump for an ad paid for by the province of Ontario that featured then President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Fox paid $485 million for the rights to the 2026 World Cup, while Telemundo shelled out $600 million for the Spanish-language telecasts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Momentum investing has paid huge dividends over time, and it is strongly endorsed by academic research, but the returns can be lumpy — you will occasionally get a very nasty spell of underperformance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
US actress Rebecca Hall, who featured in both films with Hottle, paid tribute by sharing pictures of them together on set.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
She finds work as a secretary to a vice president at a big bank, then becomes a librarian at an engineering company, where she is paid a decent salary for the first time.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower payed his respects to Spam in a letter to Hormel in 1966.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
The remembrances of Knight poured out across social media and the marquees of clubs like the Improv, which payed tribute to the beloved comedian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2022
The exact format of the competition is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected that games will be payed behind closed doors in the Kyiv region and other cities further west.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2022
Rapper Kanye West payed tribute to his friend and colleague during his weekly Sunday Service gospel music performance.
From Reuters ● Nov. 30, 2021
And after this man had payed hys Raunsome, and was set at lyberty, he arriued into the partes of Chrystedome.
From The Palace of Pleasure Volume 3 by Painter, William
"If you're paying for something, you want it to work."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Finally, prioritize canceling cards with hefty annual fees; if you’re not using them, there’s no point in paying them.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Citi warns the deal comes at a high price as the Spanish utility company is paying double what the grid assets are worth and 17 times Caruna’s expected 2027 profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Liverpool supporter Neil Atkinson, CEO of The Anfield Wrap, told BBC Sport that questions "should be asked whenever anyone is interested in paying money for an involvement in any Premier League club".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Eben, I hear tell you’ve been paying visits around Sassafras Springs.”
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.