payday

American  

[pey-dey] / ˈpeɪˌdeɪ /

noun

1. the day on which wages are given, payment is made, etc.

2. Informal. a day or period during which a great deal of money, success, fame, etc., is won or obtained.

   Payday came when she was given a screen test by a big Hollywood studio.

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payday British  

/ ˈpeɪˌdeɪ /

noun

1. the day on which wages or salaries are paid

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Etymology

Origin of payday

First recorded in 1520–30; pay ¹ + day

Explanation

When you have a job, your payday is the day you get paid. You might wait to buy yourself a new outfit until after payday. Some jobs have a weekly payday — maybe Fridays are payday at the ice cream shop where you work. In other cases, you have to wait two weeks, or even a month, between paydays. You can also use payday to mean a sudden success or influx of money, either earned or won: "That movie brought a huge payday to its producers." Since 1932, there's also been a peanut and nougat-based candy bar called PayDay.

Example Sentences

Inspired by the NBA’s recent, record payday for its media rights, pro football is re-examining its existing deals with its partners, essentially thinking: They paid that much for basketball?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Beyond the drama, the hope in boxing circles is that both men can secure one final payday, emerge unscathed, and move on to enjoy the rewards of their careers.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

In addition, this Friday is important for TSA agents, because it’s a payday and they could miss a full paycheck for the second time.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

Shell contends that Cipriani demanded compensation for his unsolicited efforts, then sought to “weaponize that fiction,” followed by a threat of public exposure to extract an alleged payday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

He treated me fine, same as he treated everybody that worked for him; like, if you was a little short before payday, he’d always hand you a ten or a five.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote