repay
Americanverb (used with object)
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repays,
present (3rd person singular)
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repaid,
past participle, past
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repaying
present participle
verb (used without object)
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repays,
present (3rd person singular)
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repaid,
past participle, past
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repaying
present participle
verb
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to pay back (money) to (a person); refund or reimburse
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to make a return for (something) by way of compensation
to repay kindness
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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repayabilitynoun
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repaymentnoun
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nonrepayableadjective
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nonrepayingadjective
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repayableadjective
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unrepaidadjective
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unrepayableadjective
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well-repaidadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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repaysimple
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repayssimple
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have repaidperfect
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has repaidperfect
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am repayingprogressive
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are repayingprogressive
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is repayingprogressive
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have been repayingperfect progressive
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has been repayingperfect progressive
Past
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repaidsimple
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had repaidperfect
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was repayingprogressive
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were repayingprogressive
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had been repayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of repay
From the Middle French word repaier, dating back to 1520–30. See re-, pay 1
Explanation
When you give someone money that you owe them, you repay them. A bank may loan you money to buy a new car, but you'll have to repay the money, plus interest. You might repay a bank loan, or repay your brother the dollar you borrowed last week. You can also repay things other than money: "How will I ever repay your kindness and support?" Repay comes from the French repaier, with its "back" prefix re- and payer, "to pay."
Vocabulary lists containing repay
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:
"I checked, was told it was all correct and now have to repay it," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Two weeks ago, Walter announced an agreement to sell controlling interest in the Lakers at a $12.5-billion valuation, the cash from which could help repay loans under scrutiny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Gibson's barrister asked the judge at Bristol Crown Court, Recorder Jaron Crooknorth, to defer sentencing and said that it would give him time to earn money with which to repay the victims.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Andrea feels deep shame when she thinks about the loan she took out a year ago in Buenos Aires that she is now unable to repay.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“What of you? I owe you a great favor—how can I repay it? Ask anything and it is yours, should it be within my skill.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
He says he repays his father $954.83 a month for the mortgage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
While a higher interest rate does not affect the amount someone repays each month, it makes it harder to reduce the size of the loan, meaning the borrower could repay more over time.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
His brave and inspiring column revealing his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease repays that debt, and then some.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2025
The money is typically issued within three days, and the platform repays itself by withholding those wages from the user’s next paycheck.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025
See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
For Andrea’s 40th birthday earlier this year, I repaid the favor and requested a video for her from Nell Campbell, who portrayed Columbia, in which she talked about sisterhood — and “Rocky Horror,” of course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Nicklin rejected requests by Harry and the other celebrities to pay on a standard basis, instead favouring arguments by ANL that its costs should be repaid on a stricter so-called indemnity basis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
If the bonus is repaid after it has already been included in taxable wages, the tax consequences can be more complicated.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
At Carnival, CFO David Bernstein made a commitment to investors: He wouldn’t leave until the company repaid its pandemic-era debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
It would all be for the greater good, and any harm done would be repaid a hundredfold in benefits for wizards.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Music has given me so much that this album is my way of repaying music for all the blessings it’s given me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Borrowers forfeit their collateral in 35% to 45% of transactions with Ezcorp’s stores for not repaying the loan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Parents who are already repaying loans will lose access to income-driven repayment plans.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
That means graduates will effectively start repaying sooner and those earning above the threshold will see a greater proportion of their salary subjected to student loan repayments than they would have done.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
There were harvest expenses staring me in the face, along with trying to finish repaying Uncle Chester’s IOU.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
