pay

1 of 4

verb (1)

paid ˈpād How to pronounce pay (audio) 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.
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

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 Courier Journal will again honor the Top Workplaces in the Louisville area to pay tribute to individuals and organizations that create an exemplary impact in their employees' lives and our community. Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 7 Apr. 2024 America was back-back-back from the Carter malaise, with patriotic juices stirred, the industrial base invigorated, the Soviets startled, and soon thereafter, and much to the surprise of the best and brightest, the rich paying a still larger share of the nation’s tax bill. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 7 Apr. 2024 Tribe members pay a sliding fee to siphon water, depending on the size of their barrels — less than $10 for most customers. Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024 The laborers union also paid to help elect Valentine Macedo, the local LIUNA secretary-general, and his son, also named Valentine Macedo, to the 41-member central committee. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024 He was paid $337,500 last year, and his salary jumped to $365,000 when the merger closed. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024 Because of the lack of belief in the future of the currency, people are taking out a high amount of debt, thinking it can be paid back cheaply later: household debt has been increasing 17% in 2023. Peter Pomerantsev, TIME, 6 Apr. 2024 Departments can re-purpose the money that would otherwise pay those salaries and benefits for vacant positions. Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024 On Monday, Parker's dearest friends and castmates turned to Instagram to pay tribute to the actress and her latest trip around the sun. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Noun
But many Gen Zers aren’t giving up on their beliefs, finding a way to solve for what is often at odds in the modern economy: mission-alignment and good pay. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024 Drivers for the two services have long asked for greater regulation of the rideshare industry in order to secure more protections and higher pay. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024 Beckham, understandably, isn’t jumping at an enormous pay cut after making $15 million last season. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024 Average hourly pay rose 12 cents to $34.69, pushing down the yearly increase from 4.3% to 4.1%. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024 Lower-wage earners, for their part, are experiencing a job market less hot than a couple of years ago, when switching jobs in search of better pay and benefits frequently garnered double-digit percent raises. Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 Dutifully filing reports to his uncommunicative and far-off superiors, Pascali regards his pay as proof that his work is imperative. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024 Rebel Wilson details how Hollywood’s pay scales can increase exponentially in her new memoir, Rebel Rising. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024 But some states are passing new pay policies to incentivize them to stay. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
Adjective
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 In August, the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, the Diabetes Leadership Council, and the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the federal rule that allows co-pay accumulators. Katie Wedell, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2022 The hope is that CNN+ will serve as a gateway to a post-pay TV world, connecting the brand’s familiar red and white letters to a generation of viewers who are growing up without cable. Stephen Battaglio Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2022 The drug is so expensive at the wholesale level that private insurers place it in the highest co-pay categories; some won’t allow doctors to prescribe it without their prior approval, further narrowing patients’ access. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2022 More than 775 people have already signed up for the company's pre-pay membership, Precompose. Eileen Finan, PEOPLE.com, 17 June 2021 Or an expansion of co-pay coupons to Medicare, where they’re now banned? Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 16 Oct. 2020

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pay was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near pay

Cite this Entry

“Pay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

pay

1 of 3 verb
paid ˈpād How to pronounce pay (audio) 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

More from Merriam-Webster on pay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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