pay

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈpā 

paid ˈpād  also in sense 7 payed; paying

transitive verb

1

a

: to make due return to for services rendered or property delivered

paid the pizza deliverer

b

: to engage for money : hire

You couldn't pay me to do that.

paid a teenager to mow his lawn

2

a

: to give in return for goods or service

pay wages

b

: to discharge indebtedness for : settle

pay a bill

c

: to make a disposal or transfer of (money)

paid a few dollars weekly into a savings account

3

: to give or forfeit in expiation or retribution

pay the penalty

4

a

: to make compensation (see compensation sense 2) for

His trouble was well paid in the end.

b

: to requite according to what is deserved

pay them back

5

: to give, offer, or make freely or as fitting

pay attention

pay your respects

6

a

: to return value or profit to

it pays you to stay open

b

: to bring in as a return

an investment paying five percent

7

: to slacken (something, such as a rope) and allow to run out

—used with out

paid out the rope as it jerked taut

intransitive verb

1

: to discharge a debt or obligation

I'll pay when I have the money.

2

: to be worth the expense or effort

crime doesn't pay

3

: to suffer the consequences of an act

He paid for his crime.

pay

2 of 4

noun

1

: something paid for a purpose and especially as a salary or wage : remuneration

2

a

: the act or fact of paying or being paid

b

: the status of being paid by an employer : employ

3

: a person viewed with respect to reliability or promptness in paying debts or bills

4

a

: ore or a natural deposit that yields metal and especially gold in profitable amounts

b

: an oil-yielding stratum or zone

pay

3 of 4

adjective

1

: containing or leading to something precious or valuable

2

: equipped with a coin slot for receiving a fee for use

a pay telephone

3

: requiring payment

pay

4 of 4

verb (2)

payed also paid; paying

transitive verb

: to coat with a waterproof composition

Phrases

pay one's dues

1

: to earn a right or position through experience, suffering, or hard work

He's paid his dues and deserves a promotion.

2

or less commonly pay dues : pay sense intransitive 3

pay one's way or pay one's own way

: to pay one's share of expenses

She took a part-time job to pay her own way through college.

pay the piper

: to bear the cost of something

You have to do what they say because they are paying the piper.

pay through the nose

: to pay exorbitantly or dearly

I found the perfect dress, but I had to pay through the nose for it.

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• compensate
• recompense
• remunerate

Noun

• emolument
• hire
• packet [British]
• pay envelope
• paycheck
• payment
• salary
• stipend
• wage

Choose the Right Synonym for pay

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 pay in a Sentence

Verb (1)

we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave

you ought to pay that bill before it's overdue

rock fans were willing to pay enormous sums to get into the concert

an investment paying six percent

pay someone to mow the lawn for the summer

Noun

He has been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation.

Each pay period begins on the first of the month.

Workers received a $4,000 pay increase.

I took a significant pay cut when I took this job, but I think it was worth it.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The cost of the wedding has been estimated at up to nearly $50M, infuriating locals and activists who claim Amazon pays minimal taxes in European countries and point to Bezos’ use of his extreme personal wealth to effectively take over parts of the historic city, disrupting daily life. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 June 2025

And the companies that pay attention will reap the benefits. —Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

Noun

Whereas a hardware company might offer a new Ph.D $150K or $200K to start, a software company (with much higher gross margins) can win the day with a $500K package including performance pay and equity. —Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Still, some employers are hesitant to reduce weekly hours while providing full pay and benefits. —Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 27 June 2025

Adjective

Other plans have patients pay until a deductible is reached before a co-pay kicks in. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 19 Feb. 2025

According to the American Diabetes Association, 22 states and Washington D.C. have imposed insulin co-pay caps ranging from $25 to $100 for 30-day supplies, which some would like to expand nationwide. —Benjamin Ryan, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1), Noun, and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French paier, from Latin pacare to pacify, from pac-, pax peace

Verb (2)

obsolete French peier, from Latin picare, from pic-, pix pitch — more at pitch

First Known Use

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1610, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pay

• back pay
• base pay
• co-pay
• crime doesn't pay
• danger pay
• devil to pay
• flight pay
• hazard pay
• hell to pay
• hit/strike pay dirt
• in the pay of
• not pay any attention to
• not pay (someone) any mind
• overtime pay
• pay-as-you-go
• pay attention
• pay attention to
• pay a visit to
• pay-cable
• pay court to
• pay dearly
• pay dirt
• pay dividends
• pay down
• pay envelope
• pay for itself
• pay good money
• pay grade
• pay heed to
• pay homage to
• pay in
• pay in full
• pay into
• pay no attention to
• pay obeisance
• pay off
• pay one's last respects
• pay one's respects
• pay over the odds
• pay packet
• pay-per-view
• pay phone
• pay rate
• pay (someone) a call
• pay (someone) a compliment
• pay (someone) a visit
• pay someone no mind
• pay station
• pay stub
• pay the freight
• pay tribute/homage to
• pay-TV
• pay up
• pay with one's life
• pay your debt to society
• rate of pay
• rob Peter to pay Paul
• salary/pay review
• self-pay
• severance pay
• sick pay
• take-home pay
• you couldn't pay someone
• you get what you pay for

Rhymes for pay

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

pay

1 of 3 verb

ˈpā 

paid ˈpād  also in sense 6 payed; paying

1

: to give (as money) in return for services received or for something bought

pay the taxi driver

pay for a ticket

2

: to give what is owed

pay a tax

3

: to get even with

pay someone back for an insult

4

: to give or offer freely

pay a compliment

pay attention

5

a

: to return value or profit to

it pays to drive carefully

b

: to give as a return

a bank account paying eight percent

6

: to make slack and allow to run out

pay out a rope

payer

ˈpā-ər

noun

also payor

ˈpā-ər,

pā-ˈȯ(ə)r

pay

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: the act of paying

b

: the state of being paid or employed for money

2

: something paid

especially : wage entry 2, salary

pay

3 of 3 adjective

1

: containing or leading to something valuable

2

: having a coin slot for receiving money for use