dues-paying

American

[dooz-pey-ing, dyooz-] / ˈduzˌpeɪ ɪŋ, ˈdyuz- /

adjective

gaining experience, especially by hard and often unpleasant or uncongenial work.

He spent his dues-paying years as a cocktail pianist.

noun

the act or process of gaining experience, especially slowly and laboriously.

She had many years of dues-paying before her abilities were recognized.

Etymology

Origin of dues-paying

First recorded in 1860–70

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.

Epstein wasn’t a dues-paying member of the club, but Trump told staff to treat him like one, the employees said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

He told Salon that he and his followers found the club as an organization of just 30 to 40 dues-paying members and left it a club of around 1,800.

From Salon • Jul. 21, 2025

Finch already had several friends who were making money on YouTube, and following in their footsteps seemed like a way to circumvent several years of early-career dues-paying.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2023

Today the group has about 3,000 dues-paying members.

From New York Times • Jul. 11, 2023

He wasn't even a member of the German American Bund, a Hitler-endorsed organization comprising an estimated 25,000 dues-paying Germans living in America.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023