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
Under such reseller deals, Verizon typically pays a per-subscriber wholesale rate to its service provider partners. Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Dec. 2023 All told, prosecutors say tens of thousands of dollars changed hands in this gruesome years-long scheme: One indictment states that Pauley sent Taylor more than $40,000; Lampi paid Pauley more than $8,000; and Pauley paid Lampi more than $100,000. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2023 People pay to be closer to the source of inspiration. Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 The businesswoman, 42, paid tribute to the singer with a post shared on Instagram Saturday marking the special occasion. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 3 Dec. 2023 Preti paid around that cost for her son's care and one-and-a-half times the rate if the nanny worked more than 40 hours. Madison Medeiros, Parents, 3 Dec. 2023 These days most of us use credit cards to pay for everything from coffee to plane tickets to purchases on Amazon. Ana Staples, wsj.com, 2 Dec. 2023 But the outlook is worse for transportation projects scheduled to begin in several years, partly because of rising construction costs and declining revenue streams dedicated to paying for them. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2023 Few government agencies touch the lives of more Americans than the Social Security Administration — the agency pays $1.4 trillion in benefits to more than 71 million people every year. Mark Miller, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
Noun
When the pilots’ union negotiated a contract with the company in 2018, pilots’ pay, benefits, and schedules were competitive with similar airlines, says Josh Hoy, a captain who started at the airline seven years ago. Caitlin Harrington, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023 After Charter Communications and Disney created a new industry template for traditional pay TV with their new Spectrum carriage deal, expect more streaming content to be included in the traditional cable bundle and less popular linear TV channels to be dropped. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2023 The union wants to increase the salary floor for full-time lecturers, many of whom start at the bottom of the pay scale. Debbie Truong, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023 With the strides made up until this point, the reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the gender pay gap. Allison Robinson, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Two current Loyal Source employees interviewed by The Post have also cited low pay and a lack of bonuses for remote postings as the main source of the company’s staffing shortages. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023 Both guilds obtained job protections against AI abuse, including consent and protection against diminishment of pay. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Nov. 2023 Nissan said its 9,000 U.S. workers would get raises of about 10% and would end a two-tiered pay system. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 Before the deal, union leaders crafted a strike pay plan and picket lines across the Strip. Sahil Kapur, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2023
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 See More

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 8 Dec. 2023.

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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