repay
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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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
Derived Forms
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repayabilitynoun
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repaymentnoun
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nonrepayableadjective
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nonrepayingadjective
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repayableadjective
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unrepaidadjective
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unrepayableadjective
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well-repaidadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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repaysimple
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repayssimple
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have repaidperfect
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has repaidperfect
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am repayingprogressive
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are repayingprogressive
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is repayingprogressive
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have been repayingperfect progressive
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has been repayingperfect progressive
Past
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repaidsimple
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had repaidperfect
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was repayingprogressive
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were repayingprogressive
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had been repayingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
The company has already been ordered to repay £148m to the government after the High Court found it had breached a contract to supply millions of surgical gowns.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“The challenge is, are folks able to effectively repay their credit card or buy-now-pay-later debt without experiencing hardship or putting their future financial stability at risk?” said Martinchek.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Another alleged victim lent $320,000 to Nguyen, who promised to repay the money with rates of 4 to 6% interest, Santander wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
If a customer doesn’t repay, the shop sells the merchandise to recover the loan balance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Over time, I repay the pawnbroker the amount the person gave me, with interest, and I can get my jewelry back.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
She repays about £150 a month and said it feels like "a constant burden that is always hanging over your head".
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Onset said it is owed $1.9 billion by First Brands, and has concerns that when the company repays its DIP lenders, it will leave nothing behind to repay those claims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
The money is typically issued within three days, and the platform repays itself by withholding those wages from the user’s next paycheck.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025
On payday, the user repays the money out of their wages.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Of that spending, 98.5% of balances were repaid on time, it said.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Most of the money was never repaid, investigators allege.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Estimates put the price tag at more than $1 billion, and the federal government has approved hundreds of millions of dollars in reimbursement, though Florida has not yet been fully repaid.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
You must act: The SSA will automatically withhold 50% of your benefit each month after that 30-day window until the amount it says you owe has been repaid.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Instead he had done a friend’s duty, helping me pass a difficult time, and I had repaid him with lies.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The drop followed an announcement that SpaceX would issue its first investment-grade dollar bonds to raise an unspecified amount for repaying outstanding borrowings under its bridge loan facility.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Since a pandemic-era pause on student-loan repayments ended in 2023, the federal government has been pushing people to start repaying their loans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
This relationship suggests the seals may be repaying a lingering oxygen debt accumulated during diving and hunting trips.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026
I’m not clear why you have to borrow the money if you intend on repaying it within two years; if you do have accessible cash, you could try borrowing against your existing house.
From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026
“I’m repaying you. You saved my life. Let’s call it even.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
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.
