repay
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to pay back (money) to (a person); refund or reimburse
-
to make a return for (something) by way of compensation
to repay kindness
Other Word Forms
- nonrepayable adjective
- nonrepaying adjective
- repayability noun
- repayable adjective
- repayment noun
- unrepaid adjective
- unrepayable adjective
- well-repaid adjective
Etymology
Origin of repay
From the Middle French word repaier, dating back to 1520–30. See re-, pay 1
Explanation
When you give someone money that you owe them, you repay them. A bank may loan you money to buy a new car, but you'll have to repay the money, plus interest. You might repay a bank loan, or repay your brother the dollar you borrowed last week. You can also repay things other than money: "How will I ever repay your kindness and support?" Repay comes from the French repaier, with its "back" prefix re- and payer, "to pay."
Vocabulary lists containing repay
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.
The future budget also includes setting aside around 168 billion euros to repay the EU loan taken out during the coronavirus pandemic.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Two weeks ago, the students, some about to take final exams, were told they would have to find a lump sum to repay loans immediately.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
He would repay her with pearls of wisdom from more than four decades of coaching college basketball and a dozen trips to the Final Four.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Still, traditional underwriting criteria isn’t exactly a good predictor of whether a college or graduate student will be able to repay their loans.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
If Jean had borrowed 1,000 gold coins to set up his workshop and the business failed, he would have had to repay the loan by selling his private property—his house, his cow, his land.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
