repay

verb

re·​pay (ˌ)rē-ˈpā How to pronounce repay (audio)
repaid (ˌ)rē-ˈpād How to pronounce repay (audio) ; repaying

transitive verb

1
a
: to pay back
repay a loan
b
: to give or inflict in return or requital
repay evil for evil
2
: to make a return payment to : compensate, requite
3
: to make requital for : recompense
the success that repays hard work

intransitive verb

: to make return payment or requital
repayable adjective
repayment noun
Choose the Right Synonym for repay

pay, compensate, remunerate, satisfy, reimburse, indemnify, repay, recompense mean to give money or its equivalent in return for something.

pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

Examples of repay in a Sentence

You can repay the mortgage over 30 years. She would rather have to repay the bank than borrow from her parents and have to repay them. How can I ever repay your kindness? How can I ever repay you for your kindness?
Recent Examples on the Web The bonds were envisioned to be repaid through a mix of revenues from the project, including a ticket tax, parking fees, concession taxes, income taxes levied on athletes performing at the arena and naming rights from the district. Sarah Rankin, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 When consumers fail to repay their loans for a long time, banks write off the bad debt as a loss. Matt Egan, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Even if Biden were to do the right thing, voters are unlikely to repay him with support. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Mar. 2024 The company's long-term debt was approximately $9.50 billion, which is scheduled to be repaid between 2025 and 2030. Gurufocus, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 In recent months, the company has taken steps to ease its debt woes, including repaying an 800 million yuan ($111 million) local bond in full and selling a stake in a mall operator for 3.07 billion yuan with proceeds to be used for offshore debt restructuring. Lulu Yilun Chen, Fortune Asia, 28 Feb. 2024 The Attorney General's Office had asked the individual defendants be made to repay the NRA and be barred from returning to leadership positions there and from working for nonprofits in the state. Allison Elyse Gualtieri, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024 Ninety-five percent of customers repay their loans on time. Lenwood V. Long, Sr., Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Fitch's office said in the lawsuit Thursday that the attorney general has never declined to pursue additional litigation to try to get Favre to repay interest on misspent money. Emily Wagster Pettus The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'repay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of repay was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near repay

Cite this Entry

“Repay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repay. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

repay

verb
re·​pay (ˈ)rē-ˈpā How to pronounce repay (audio)
repaid -ˈpād How to pronounce repay (audio) ; repaying
1
: to pay back
repay a loan
2
: to make a return payment to
repay a creditor
repayable adjective
repayment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on repay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!