pay 1 of 2

1
as in to compensate
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to meet
to give what is owed for you ought to pay that bill before it's overdue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in to yield
to produce as revenue an investment paying six percent

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

pay

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of pay are compensate, indemnify, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When might compensate be a better fit than pay?

The words compensate and pay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When can indemnify be used instead of pay?

Although the words indemnify and pay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When would recompense be a good substitute for pay?

The meanings of recompense and pay largely overlap; however, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When could reimburse be used to replace pay?

The synonyms reimburse and pay are sometimes interchangeable, but reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

Where would remunerate be a reasonable alternative to pay?

In some situations, the words remunerate and pay are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When is it sensible to use repay instead of pay?

While in some cases nearly identical to pay, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

When is satisfy a more appropriate choice than pay?

While the synonyms satisfy and pay are close in meaning, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pay
Verb
But Sutton-Schulman and L had to pay more than $95,000 out of pocket, burning through their savings in hopes that Highmark would reconsider their denials. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025 The Panthers are paying their offensive line a fortune, and Hubbard is here for the long haul, focusing on those two variables is essential. Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
The new pay plan, worth about $975 billion, would award Musk more than 423 million additional shares. Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025 Why are Air Canada workers striking? Air Canada flight attendants are striking for higher pay, including being paid for time spent on the ground. Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay
Verb
  • The Pixel’s Magic Editor leverages generative AI tools, which can remove objects in the background, alter lighting, and realistically change the entire mood of a phone (a bright middary sun can easily be compensated for).
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Efficient, neat, always available as a means of compensating for her (completely justified) fear of not being a brilliant enough copywriter.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Plenty of agency officials were already put off by the DOGErs, who often issued peremptory orders to meet with them and answer questions.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders and Russell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants meet after the Washington Commanders beat the New York Giants 21-6 during the game at Northwest Stadium on September 07, 2025 in Landover, Maryland.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • More on that decision and a list of other schools that have decided to spend cash on volleyball here.
    Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Tony didn’t find out about their daughter until after Ziva’s death, then father and daughter spent several years together before Ziva revealed the truth.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For the moment, various brainstorming and armchair analyses are yielding some interesting and potentially useful insights worthy of further exploration.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The findings even suggest that modest design modifications can yield substantial benefits, offering engineers flexibility in designing future reactors by balancing performance with engineering complexity.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Hit Man Based on an outrageous true story, Richard Linklater's 2024 action rom-com sees Glen Powell donning the many disguises of Gary Johnson, a New Orleans Police Department contractor who poses as a hitman to arrest those trying to hire him.
    Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Coleman was recruited to Arizona by Fisch and transferred to Washington when the coach was hired in Seattle.
    Joe Davidosn, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This provision prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside of their employment contracts.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Workers injured on the job can receive regular payments based on their salary, plus coverage of medical bills to treat their injuries.
    TOM KERTSCHER, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The payment goes through my friend’s fiancé’s mother’s Tesla account, the poor woman accidentally footing the bill.
    Joe Joyce, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The state agency, which is in charge of the unemployment program, will be required to search its archives and locate the people denied benefits and obtain their payment information in order to send out unemployment benefits they were denied, according to the order.
    Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The buyer must repay the full value of the tax credit to the IRS when filing a tax return.
    Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • So if bankruptcy hits one of these borrowers, MSDL is first to be repaid.
    Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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