pay
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to settle (a debt, obligation, etc.), as by transferring money or goods, or by doing something.
Please pay your bill.
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to give over (a certain amount of money) in exchange for something.
He paid twenty dollars for the shirt.
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to transfer money as compensation or recompense for work done or services rendered; to satisfy the claims of (a person, organization, etc.), as by giving money due.
He paid me for my work.
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to defray (cost or expense).
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to give compensation for.
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to yield a recompense or return to; be profitable to.
Your training will pay you well in the future.
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to yield as a return.
The stock paid six percent last year.
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to requite, as for good, harm, or an offense.
How can I pay her for her kindness and generosity?
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to give or render (attention, respects, compliments, etc.), as if due or fitting.
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to make (a call, visit, etc.).
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to suffer in retribution.
You'll pay the penalty for your stubbornness!
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Nautical. to let (a ship) fall off to leeward.
verb (used without object)
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to transfer money, goods, etc., as in making a purchase or settling a debt.
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to discharge a debt or obligation.
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to yield a return, profit, or advantage; be worthwhile.
It pays to be courteous.
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to give compensation, as for damage or loss sustained.
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to suffer or be punished for something; atone.
The murderer paid with his life.
noun
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the act of paying or being paid; payment.
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wages, salary, or a stipend.
- Synonyms:
- allowance, income, honorarium, fee, emolument, remuneration
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a person with reference to solvency or reputation for meeting obligations.
The bank regards him as good pay.
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paid employment.
One of the army officers was actually in the pay of the enemy.
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reward or punishment; requital.
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a rock stratum from which petroleum is obtained.
adjective
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requiring subscribed or monthly payment for use or service.
With pay TV, you can watch hit movies from the comfort of your own home.
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operable or accessible on deposit of a coin or coins.
Do you have any change for the pay toilet?
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of or relating to payment.
verb phrase
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pay for to suffer or be punished for.
The corrupt cop finally pays for his sins when the gang betrays him.
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pay back. see payback.
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pay up
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to pay fully.
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to pay on demand.
The gangsters used threats of violence to force the shopkeepers to pay up.
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pay down
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to pay (part of the total price) at the time of purchase, with the promise to pay the balance in installments.
On this plan you pay only ten percent down.
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to pay off or back; amortize.
The company's debt is being paid down rapidly.
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pay off. see payoff.
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pay out. see payout.
idioms
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pay it forward, to express gratitude for kindness or good fortune by doing good for someone else.
People were very helpful to us, so we want to pay it forward to other entrepreneurs just starting out.
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pay one's / its way,
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to pay one's portion of shared expenses.
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to yield a return on one's investment sufficient to repay one's expenses.
It will take time for the restaurant to begin paying its way.
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pay as you go,
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to pay for (goods, services, etc.) at the time of purchase, as opposed to buying on credit.
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to spend no more than income permits; keep out of debt.
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to pay income tax by regular deductions from one's salary or wages.
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verb (used with object)
verb
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to discharge (a debt, obligation, etc) by giving or doing something
he paid his creditors
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to give (money) to (a person) in return for goods or services
they pay their workers well
they pay by the hour
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to give or afford (a person) a profit or benefit
it pays one to be honest
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(tr) to give or bestow (a compliment, regards, attention, etc)
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(tr) to make (a visit or call)
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to give compensation or make amends
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(tr) to yield a return of
the shares pay 15 per cent
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to give or do (something equivalent) in return; pay back
he paid for the insult with a blow
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(tr; past tense and past participle paid or payed) nautical to allow (a vessel) to make leeway
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informal to acknowledge or accept (something) as true, just, etc
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to contribute one's share of expenses
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to remain solvent without outside help
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noun
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money given in return for work or services; a salary or wage
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( as modifier )
a pay slip
pay claim
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paid employment (esp in the phrase in the pay of )
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(modifier) requiring the insertion of money or discs before or during use
a pay phone
a pay toilet
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(modifier) rich enough in minerals to be profitably mined or worked
pay gravel
verb
Usage
what is a basic definition of pay? Pay means to give money to someone to settle a debt or obligation. Pay also means to give money in exchange for something. Pay is also a person’s salary or wages. Pay has many other senses as a verb and a noun. Pay means to settle a bill or a debt, such as paying the check at a restaurant or paying your electric bill. Sometimes you can pay in advance, meaning you pay for the product or service before you receive it. The past tense of the verb pay is paid. Real-life examples: Homeowners pay their mortgages. Citizens pay taxes to the government. College students often have to pay student loans. Used in a sentence: I always keep enough money in the bank to pay my rent on time. Pay also means to give someone money for a product or service. Real-life examples: A person might pay $20 for some old shirts. A parent may pay a store $50 for a gift for their child. A rich person may pay $5 million for a mansion. Used in a sentence: She paid the actor $5 for an autographed picture. Pay is also the money a person earns in exchange for their labor. This sense of pay is a synonym of salary or earnings. Real-life examples: When you have a job, you earn your pay. A doctor has a much higher pay than a teenager working a part-time job. Workers often go on strike or negotiate with the company to try and get a better pay. Used in a sentence: He may not like his job that much, but he never complains about the pay.
Synonym Usage
Pay, wage or wages, salary, stipend are terms for amounts of money or equivalent benefits, usually given at a regular rate or at regular intervals, in return for services. Pay is the general term: His pay went up every year. Wage usually designates the pay given at an hourly, daily, or weekly rate, often for manual or semiskilled work; wages usually means the cumulative amount paid at regular intervals for such work: an hourly wage; weekly wages. Salary designates a fixed, periodic payment for regular work or services, usually computed on a monthly or yearly basis: an annual salary paid in twelve equal monthly installments. Stipend designates a periodic payment, either as a professional salary or, more commonly, as a salary in return for special services or as a grant in support of creative or scholarly work: an annual stipend for work as a consultant; a stipend to cover living expenses.
Etymology
Origin of pay1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English paien, payen, from Old French paier, paiier, from Medieval Latin pācāre “to satisfy, settle (a debt),” Latin: “to impose a settlement on”; cf. peace
Origin of pay2
First recorded in 1610–20; from Middle French poier, Old French peier, from Latin picāre “to smear with pitch,” derivative of pix (stem pic- ) pitch 2
Explanation
When you pay, you give money in return for something. It’s not always money, though. If your brother says, “You’ll pay for this!” after you snooped in his room, he’s not talking about money. He means you’re going to get it! Your neighbor might pay you to shovel his driveway — and you can take the money you earn and pay for movie tickets for you and your best friend. Whenever there's an exchange of money and goods (or services), someone pays someone else. It can also be used for ideas. If your teacher warns your class that "crime doesn't pay," she means you might get money but it's not worth it. Education does pay, though, because it makes you smarter.
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.
See Examples For:
He earned nearly $15 million in tour revenue over 13 months, he says, and used those profits to pay off an IRS debt of about $6 million caused by McCauley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Squarespace, which announced it was cutting 19% of its staff, offered a similar exit package, allowing laid-off employees to keep their laptops and receive 16 weeks of severance pay and healthcare through May 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Lacking time to refer questions home, the two diplomats went beyond their brief to make the deal, agreeing to pay $15 million for the whole French claim.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
“An annuity advertised as having no fees can still pay a commission to the adviser who sells it,” said James Mayo, a certified financial planner and principal of IronFjord Wealth Management.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Some of them returned when they found out that if you couldn’t sign your name, you had to pay cash.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Yet investors who held the whole sector long enough came out ahead, because a few spectacular winners paid for all the Pets.coms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
County has paid out tens of millions of dollars in legal settlements stemming from cases involving deputies accused of belonging to secret societies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey paid tribute to Rockefeller's decades of service, saying he had left "a lasting mark on the lives of generations of West Virginians."
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Tributes have been paid to Michael Locke, star of MTV stunt and prank series Dirty Sanchez, who has died aged 47.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
No one paid attention to Doc and Coal as they walked quickly to a heavy metal door that Doc opened with some difficulty.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
And it only resolved after Gutterman payed a small fee to join a WhatsApp group that alerted her to new appointments, which stay available for only a few seconds.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2023
The exact format of the competition is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected that games will be payed behind closed doors in the Kyiv region and other cities further west.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2022
Born into a jazz family, Mtume payed in Miles Davis’ electric band before becoming a Grammy-winning R&B songwriter and producer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2022
Rapper Kanye West payed tribute to his friend and colleague during his weekly Sunday Service gospel music performance.
From Reuters ● Nov. 30, 2021
Many Catholic editors, like Dr. Majunke, of the Germania, payed for their zeal by imprisonment.
From The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-christianism in Europe by Francis A. (Francis Aloysius) Cunningham
Paying in cash lets you avoid paying interest and some fees, as well as the loan-processing delay.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
If your business strategy is paying people more than anyone, it isn’t a business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The Bradford-based solicitor told his potential client he could avoid paying the fine if he was able to find someone overseas prepared to declare themselves the owner of the mini-mart.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
So, a little disclosure before we get into it: Nobody is paying me to recommend these products, and neither Salon nor I will earn money from these recommendations.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
“So, how’d they end up paying for private lessons?”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
