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.
Israel's President Benjamin Netanyahu paid tribute to Graham on Sunday, saying "Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable".
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2026
Trump paid tribute to the late senator, calling him "one of the greatest people" in a post on his Truth Social site.
From Barron's • Jul. 12, 2026
In an alternate universe, the Sparks’ win over Chicago on Friday could have been a barometer to indicate whether general manager Raegan Pebley’s gamble to trade Rickea Jackson to the Sky paid off.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2026
This past week wound down with Meta Platforms announcing a new version of its own AI model that included a paid tier.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
It paid a fair wage and included a benefit she had not fully appreciated before: time to herself.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
