pay off
Britishverb
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(tr, adverb) to pay all that is due in wages, etc, and discharge from employment
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(tr, adverb) to pay the complete amount of (a debt, bill, etc)
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(intr, adverb) to turn out to be profitable, effective, etc
the gamble paid off
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to take revenge on (a person) or for (a wrong done)
to pay someone off for an insult
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informal (tr, adverb) to give a bribe to
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(intr, adverb) nautical (of a vessel) to make leeway
noun
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the final settlement, esp in retribution
the payoff came when the gang besieged the squealer's house
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informal the climax, consequence, or outcome of events, a story, etc, esp when unexpected or improbable
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the final payment of a debt, salary, etc
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the time of such a payment
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informal a bribe
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Pay the full amount on a debt or on wages, as in The car's finally paid off , or Les pays off the workers every Friday evening . [Early 1700s]
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Produce a profit, as in That gamble did not pay off . [Mid-1900s]
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Also, pay off an old score . Get revenge on someone for some grievance, require, as in Jerry was satisfied; he'd paid off his ex-partner when he bought him out at half-price , or Amy went out with her roommate's boyfriend, but she was paying off and old score .
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Bribe, as in The owner of the bar paid off the local police so he wouldn't get in trouble for serving liquor to minors . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900]
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.
Target’s efforts to ride a booming collectibles market appeared to pay off this week, as customers rushed to its stores to buy Pokémon’s new 30th-anniversary card set, Mizuho analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
"I was going to pay off my credit card and whatever was left I was going to put into my business," says the driving consultant from Chippenham.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Some data show that a higher portion of those who are tapping home equity are doing so to pay off other forms of debt than in the past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
It hopes staying in China, where per capita blueberry consumption remains below the U.S. and Europe, will still pay off in the long term, and said it sees an opportunity for sustained investment and growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Yes, but alpanas can’t put rice on the table. And what use is it if Rashida is smart? We can’t afford her school fees next year unless we pay off that rickshaw loan.”
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
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.
