pay

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verb (1)

ˈpā

paid ˈpād

also in sense 7 payed; paying

Synonyms of pay next

transitive verb

: to make due return to for services rendered or property delivered

paid the pizza deliverer

: to engage for money : hire

You couldn't pay me to do that.

paid a teenager to mow his lawn

: to give in return for goods or service

pay wages

: to discharge indebtedness for : settle

pay a bill

: to make a disposal or transfer of (money)

paid a few dollars weekly into a savings account

: to give or forfeit in expiation or retribution

pay the penalty

: to make compensation (see compensation sense 2) for

His trouble was well paid in the end.

: to requite according to what is deserved

pay them back

: to give, offer, or make freely or as fitting

pay attention

pay your respects

: to return value or profit to

it pays you to stay open

: to bring in as a return

an investment paying five percent

: 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

: to discharge a debt or obligation

I'll pay when I have the money.

: to be worth the expense or effort

crime doesn't pay

: to suffer the consequences of an act

He paid for his crime.

pay

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noun

: something paid for a purpose and especially as a salary or wage : remuneration

: the act or fact of paying or being paid

: the status of being paid by an employer : employ

: a person viewed with respect to reliability or promptness in paying debts or bills

: ore or a natural deposit that yields metal and especially gold in profitable amounts

: an oil-yielding stratum or zone

pay

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adjective

: containing or leading to something precious or valuable

: equipped with a coin slot for receiving a fee for use

a pay telephone

: requiring payment

pay

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verb (2)

payed also paid; paying

transitive verb

: to coat with a waterproof composition

Phrases

pay one's dues

: to earn a right or position through experience, suffering, or hard work

He's paid his dues and deserves a promotion.

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

Example Sentences

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

Suddenly regular bank accounts — that pay very little, if any, interest — became much less attractive than other investments offering higher returns. —

Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2023 The Cherokee Golf Course agreement says Wilson will pay 48% of gross revenue and 35% of food and beverage sale revenue to Metro Government, while those percentages for Fowler at Sun Valley are 50% of gross revenue and 35% of food and beverage sales. —

Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, 24 Mar. 2023 To pay for its new debt, the airline sold profitable international routes and airline gates. —

Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2023 If Norfolk Southern does not comply, the company will be ordered to pay triple the cost. —

Nadine El-bawab, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2023 In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in January, State Towing Service, Inc. says Providence wouldn’t pay its invoices, then awarded lucrative towing work to another company — illegally. —

Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023 The price drivers pay at the pump has been steadily decreasing over the past week, according to AAA data, dropping from a national average of more than $3.46 a week ago to $3.44—nearly 80 cents lower than the national average this time last year. —

Brian Bushard, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023 Taxes on current workers pay for the benefits of retirees, and as people live longer — and more baby boomers retire — the system would otherwise eventually go bankrupt, though the threat is not immediate. —

Dalal Mawad, CNN, 23 Mar. 2023 The top 1% of earners pay nearly 50% of the state income taxes. —

George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2023

Noun

The combined group met in Berlin last week to demand from the two platforms higher pay, more psychological support, and the ability to unionize and organize. —

Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2023 April 1 is the date that post-production editors at SNL, represented by the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700), have threatened a potential strike over pay and benefits. —

Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2023 About a half-million workers — from teachers to bus drivers to airport staff — walked off the job in Britain last month during disputes over pay and working conditions. —

Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2023 The labor movement fought for better pay and safer working conditions and supported antipoverty policies. —

Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023 According to Dulberg, workers have seen offers of one month of pay and COBRA medical coverage for every year of service for up to a year. —

Richard Lawler, The Verge, 9 Mar. 2023 Many small businesses successfully compete with the pay and benefits that larger companies can offer by providing a better work/life balance. —

Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023 The staff members are demanding higher pay, maintained health benefits and collective bargaining rights. —

Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2023 The legislation also calls for a new minimum starting salary of $50,000 a year for teachers, which would rank Arkansas among the highest in the country for minimum teacher pay. —

Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 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 example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.