repay

verb

re·pay | \ (ˌ)rē-ˈpā

repaid\ (ˌ)rē-ˈpād

\; repaying

Definition of repay

transitive verb

1a : 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

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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 country’s debt stands at about 181% of annual gross domestic product and Greece has pledged to continue producing large primary surpluses — the budget excluding debt servicing — of more than 3% of GDP for years to come to repay its debts. — Washington Post, "New Greek government faces swift test from creditors," 8 July 2019 To repay the city for the new structure, homeowners have agreed to be assessed on average about $389 a year for 20 years on their property tax bills. — Martin E. Comas, orlandosentinel.com, "Residents ask Casselberry to ‘build a wall’ in their neighborhood," 3 July 2019 The program offers up to $10,000 to help with the down payment, a grant that applicants do not have to repay. — Jack Katzanek, The Mercury News, "Bank of America offers $17,500 grants for would-be homebuyers," 21 June 2019 The judge ordered Hansmeier to repay victims $1.5 million in restitution. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Porn trolling mastermind Paul Hansmeier gets 14 years in prison," 14 June 2019 Town Meeting last fall authorized $6.5 million for the project, and at a townwide election approved a debt exclusion — or property tax increase — to repay the debt. — John Laidler, BostonGlobe.com, "Merrimac holds groundbreaking for new police station," 25 June 2019 People earning regular wages can use chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code to halt foreclosure and repay debt over a period of three to five years. — Jonathan Randles, WSJ, "Marijuana Ties Are Hurting More Filers in Bankruptcy Courts," 22 June 2019 Fifty percent of your income should be set aside for necessities, 30 percent goes to wants, and 20 percent goes to repaying debts and saving. — Jo Yurcaba, Woman's Day, "How to Make a Budget That's Easy to Understand and Easier to Follow," 10 June 2019 The city will likely spend the next 20 years repaying the debts. — Gregory Tejeda, Post-Tribune, "Gary plans to use the Public Safety building as collateral to pay bills," 7 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for repay

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

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More Definitions for repay

repayment

noun

Financial Definition of repayment

What It Is

Repayment usually refers to the payments on a debt.

How It Works

Under the terms of a loan, repayment can have different schedules and requirements. For example, a loan may be amortized over a specific period of time, requiring regular repayments. The repayments would be divided between the interest (i.e. the interest on the outstanding loan amount) and the principal repayment (i.e. the remaining amount of the periodic payment that is used to reduce the outstanding loan amount). At the same time, a loan term may be amortized over a longer period of time than the due date on the loan. In this case, a loan will require a "balloon repayment" (i.e. the amount of principal not yet repaid will be due in full at the end of the term). In either case, all payments on the loan are called repayments.

Why It Matters

For both a borrower and a lender, the breakdown of repayments into principal and interest are very important. For a business, the interest portion of the repayment on a business loan is tax deductible. The principal is not. For a lender, the interest portion of the repayment is treated as income. The principal is not.

Source: Investing Answers

repay

verb