payback

American  

[pey-bak] / ˈpeɪˌbæk /

noun

1. the period of time required to recoup a capital investment.

2. the return on an investment.

   This fund yields a payback of 15 percent tax-free.

3. the act or fact of paying back; repayment.

4. something done in retaliation.

   Excluding them from her wedding was a vicious payback for years of being snubbed.

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verb phrase

1. 1. to repay or return; pay off.

      Graduates from this program are successfully paying back their student loans.

   2. to retaliate against or punish.

      She paid us back by refusing the invitation.

   3. to requite.

Etymology

Origin of payback

First recorded in 1955–60; noun use of verb phrase pay back

Explanation

Payback is a way to get even with someone — it's revenge. If your brother shares an unflattering picture of you online, you might get payback with an even worse photo of him. An act of retaliation, or hurting someone who's hurt you, is one meaning of payback. A small kind of payback might be stealing one of your friend's cookies after she's snagged a few of your French fries; a huge payback is when two warring countries use increasingly deadly weapons against each other. The original meaning of payback is a "financial reward," or "profits from an investment."

Example Sentences

American Consumer Credit Counseling, a nonprofit that works with credit-card companies to reduce interest rates and monthly payments for people in debt, helped her devise a payback plan.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

One could read the entire scripture — both the Old and New Testaments — as an allegory for humanity’s penchant for payback, and God’s many warnings against it.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC, reported that some in the crowd outside the hospital yelled that Lewis needed to face "payback" and accused the police of protecting him.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

“There is some payback in our culture,” he added.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

“Maybe the priest, as payback for all those St. Vincent de Paul charity trips you’ve made?”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• compensation
• reimbursement