paid
Americanverb
verb
-
the past tense and past participle of pay 1
-
to end or destroy
breaking his leg put paid to his hopes of running in the Olympics
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Something that's paid is done in exchange for money, or happens while you're receiving pay. For example, your job might offer paid vacation, when you get your usual pay but don't have to work. Paid work is anything you do for pay, whether it's babysitting your cousin for ten dollars, or a job at a law firm that provides a weekly paycheck. When people are described as paid, it clarifies the fact that they're working for money — like a paid FBI informant, or a paid companion for an elderly man. Paid comes from the verb pay, which meant "pacify or please" long before it came to mean "give what is due."
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.
Paid sick leave, however, varies from state to state.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
Paid users get access to a service that has robust streaming capabilities and support for torrenting, all across various platforms.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
Paid subscribers in the last three months of 2025 jumped by 9 million, to 290 million - helping net profit rise to €1.17bn, the music giant said in its financial results released on Tuesday.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
Paid subscribers for Peloton in the second quarter decrease by 7% from the prior year.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
“A plot against me. You're all in it, every one of you. Someone’s paid this half-wit, I tell you. Paid him to tell his string of dirty lies.”
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
