Synonyms of pays

pays 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pay

1

as in compensates

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

• compensates
• repays
• reimburses
• remunerates
• refunds
• recompenses
• pays off
• pays up
• remits
• prepays
• requites

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stiffs

2

as in meets

to give what is owed for

you ought to pay that bill before it's overdue

Synonyms & Similar Words

• meets
• settles
• balances
• stands
• pays off
• clears
• pays up
• foots
• liquidates
• discharges
• quits
• springs (for)
• recompenses
• antes (up)
• ponies up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repudiates

3

as in spends

to hand over or use up in payment

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spends
• gives
• disburses
• outlays
• expends
• lays out
• drops
• shells out
• lavishes
• forks (over, out, or up)
• rains
• wastes
• runs through
• blows
• dissipates
• squanders
• throws away
• fritters (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saves
• earns
• makes
• realizes
• acquires
• wins
• secures
• procures
• lays up
• gains
• hoards
• caches
• garners

4

as in yields

to produce as revenue

an investment paying six percent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• yields
• gives
• returns
• provides
• bears
• affords
• furnishes
• supplies
• brings in
• nets
• pays off

5

as in employs

to provide with a paying job

pay someone to mow the lawn for the summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• employs
• hires
• recruits
• engages
• retains
• fees
• assumes
• signs (up or on)
• enlists
• places
• lays on
• takes on
• jobs
• partners
• promotes
• rehires
• contracts
• reemploys
• apprentices
• subcontracts
• reengages
• keeps (on)
• upgrades
• advances
• headhunts
• scouts

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dismisses
• cans
• discharges
• fires
• axes
• sacks
• furloughs
• lays off
• locks out

pays

2 of 2

noun

plural of pay

1

as in salaries

the money paid regularly to a person for labor or services

it's difficult to support two children on her pay

Synonyms & Similar Words

• salaries
• wages
• payments
• stipends
• hires
• paychecks
• pay envelopes
• emoluments
• packets
• returns
• minimum wages
• profits
• earnings
• nominal wages
• compensations
• living wages
• reparations
• reimbursements
• take-home pays
• yields
• repayments
• recompenses
• overtimes
• restitutions
• double times
• remittances
• takings
• redresses
• remunerations
• recoupments
• time and a halfs
• requitals

2

as in payments

something (as money) that is given or received in return for goods or services

we should demand pay for all the overtime we're putting in

Synonyms & Similar Words

• payments
• wages
• compensations
• salaries
• reparations
• considerations
• remittances
• reimbursements
• recompenses
• stipends
• outlays
• deposits
• remunerations
• expenditures
• repayments
• refunds
• adjustments
• rentals
• indemnities
• rents
• settlements
• rebates
• disbursements
• requitals
• redresses
• prepayments
• restitutions
• overpayments
• recoupments

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pays

Verb

Medicaid, the federal-state program that covers healthcare for low-income families, pays for at least 40% of births nationwide. — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

The main hall is 329 years old and the roof leaks, and a temple at the head of a pilgrimage route doesn't generate the kind of money that pays for a roof. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

The kit pays tribute to Orlando’s first pro soccer team, the Orlando Lions from the 1980s, and the red uniforms are a nod to Orlando City’s 2011 USL Pro championship-winning team. — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2026

And this deal pays him more than many opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks. — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Roberts captures these and pays warm-hearted tribute to his fellow obituarists as well as their deserving (and sometimes undeserving) subjects. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

The difference between what the city pays WM and collects from customers has increased dramatically since 2020. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Risk maps and early warning systems cost relatively little, and a storage park pays a dividend every dry day as ordinary public space. — Ravi S. Bhalla, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026

That's 14 years without any revenue being generated from the property that the city still pays taxes on. — Nathalie Marie Palacios, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026

Noun

This type of insurance can help cover the costs tied to leftover Medicare deductibles, co-insurances, co-pays and hospital costs. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Be sure to investigate co-pays, deductibles, and what’s covered for birthing classes and specialty tests. — Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Also, ask a senior about co-pays required for medical visits. — Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

There is no Cost Per Mile (CPM), a digital marketing metric that represents the cost an advertiser pays for every 1,000 impressions. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 5 July 2026

Even with premiums, co-pays and deductibles, the federal government cannot afford Medicare-for-some. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 May 2026

In return, doctors offer a more thorough annual physical, same-day appointments, no co-pays and more time with the patient. — Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026

Health insurance plans are designed to include some level of cost-sharing, such as co-pays or co-insurance. — Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026

Tax revenue from sports gambling pays for water projects across the state. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026