repay

American  

[ri-pey] / rɪˈpeɪ /

verb (used with object)

repaid, repaying

1. to pay back or refund, as money.

   Synonyms:

   indemnify, reimburse

2. to make return for.

   She repaid the compliment with a smile.

3. to make return to in any way.

   We can never repay you for your help.

   Synonyms:

   reward, requite

4. to return.

   to repay a visit.

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verb (used without object)

repaid, repaying

1. to make repayment or return.

repay British  

/ rɪˈpeɪ /

verb

1. to pay back (money) to (a person); refund or reimburse

2. to make a return for (something) by way of compensation

   to repay kindness

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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

Example Sentences

He said a few days later the bank concluded his parents had been scammed and the money would be repaid, adding the process was "a struggle".

From BBC

And families can struggle to repay the debt.

From MarketWatch

"As the people of Yemen, we repay loyalty with loyalty," the Houthi leader said.

From Barron's

For more than a decade, she covered consumer lending broadly, with a focus on how lenders underwrote loans and borrowers' ability to repay them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The dispute comes as the government agreed to repay costs incurred by the local council for the same visit.

From BBC

Related Words

• compensate
• offset
• pay back
• refund
• reimburse
• restore
• reward