pay

Use pay in a sentence

A woman pays for her lunch at a restaurant.

verb

To pay is defined as to give someone what is due, usually money, for goods or services.

An example of to pay is giving money to a server at a restaurant for a meal.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"pay." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY>.

APA Style

pay. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY

pay

transitive verb

paid or Obs.payed, pay′ing

to give to (a person) what is due, as for goods received, services rendered, etc.; remunerate; recompense
to give (what is due or owed) in return, as for goods or services
to make a deposit or transfer of (money): paid $50 into the credit union
to discharge or settle (a debt, obligation, expenses, etc.) by giving something in return
1. to give or offer (a compliment, respects, attention, etc.)
2. to make (a visit, call, etc.)
to yield as a recompense or return: a job that pays $90
to be worthwhile or profitable to: it will pay him to listen

Origin of pay

Middle English paien, to pay, satisfy from Old French paier from Classical Latin pacare, to pacify from pax, peace

to give due compensation; make payment
to be profitable or worthwhile
to yield return or compensation as specified: a stock that pays poorly

a paying or being paid; payment
money paid, esp. for work or services; wages or salary
anything, good or bad, given or done in return
Now Rare a person regarded as a credit risk

rich enough in minerals, ore, etc. to make mining profitable: pay gravel
operated or made available by depositing coins, submitting credit cards, etc.: a pay telephone, pay toilet
designating a service, facility, etc. paid for by subscription, fees, etc.: pay TV

pay Idioms

in the pay of

employed and paid by

pay as you go

to pay expenses as they arise

pay back

to repay
to retaliate upon

pay down

to pay (a sum of money) as a down payment, with the balance to be paid later
to reduce (a debt) over a period of time

pay for

to suffer or undergo punishment because of
to atone or make amends for

pay off

to pay all that is owed on (a debt, etc.) or to (a person, as in discharging from employment)
to take revenge on (a wrongdoer) or for (a wrong done)
to yield full recompense or return, for either good or evil
Informal to bring about a desired result; succeed
Naut. to swing or allow to swing away from the wind: said of the bow of a vessel

pay someone's way

to pay someone's share of the expenses

pay out

to give out (money, etc.); expend
to let out (a rope, cable, etc.) gradually

pay up

to pay in full or on time

with pay

with wages or salary included: a two-week vacation with pay

transitive verb

payed, pay′ing

to coat as with pitch in order to make waterproof: to pay the seams of a wooden ship

Origin of pay

Old French peier from Classical Latin picare, to cover with pitch from pix, pitch

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"pay." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY>.

APA Style

pay. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY

pay

verb

paid, pay·ing, pays

verb

transitive

To give money to in return for goods or services rendered: pay the cashier.
To give (money) in exchange for goods or services: paid four dollars for a hamburger; paid an hourly wage.
To discharge or settle (a debt or obligation): paying taxes; paid the bill.
To bear (a cost or penalty, for example) in recompense: She paid the price for her unpopular opinions.
To yield as a return: a savings plan that paid six percent interest.
To afford an advantage to; profit: It paid us to be generous.
To give or bestow: paying compliments; paying attention.
To make (a visit or call).
Past tense and past participle paid, or payed To let out (a line or cable) by slackening.

verb

intransitive

To give money in exchange for goods or services.
To discharge a debt or obligation.
To bear a cost or penalty in recompense: You'll pay for this mischief!
To be profitable or worthwhile: It doesn't pay to get angry.

adjective

Of, relating to, giving, or receiving payments.
Requiring payment to use or operate: a pay toilet.
Yielding valuable metal in mining: a pay streak.

noun

The act of paying or state of being paid.
Money given in return for work done; salary; wages.
a. Recompense or reward: Your thanks are pay enough.
b. Retribution or punishment.
Paid employment: the workers in our pay.
A person considered with regard to his or her credit or reliability in discharging debts.

Phrasal Verbs: pay back To pay or return (what is owed as a debt).To repay (a person who is owed a debt).To give recompense to; reward: How can we ever pay you back for what you've done for us? To reciprocate; return: pay back a kindness. To retaliate against or get revenge upon. pay down To reduce (a debt) through payment. pay off To pay the full amount on (a debt).To result in profit or advantage; succeed: Your efforts will eventually pay off. To pay the wages due to (an employee) upon discharge.To pay (a plaintiff) to settle a lawsuit out of court.To bribe. Nautical To turn or cause to turn (a vessel) to leeward. pay out To give (money) out; spend.To let out (a line or rope) by slackening. pay up To give over the full monetary amount demanded.

Origin of pay

Middle English paien from Old French paiier from Late Latin pācāre to appease from Latin to pacify, subdue from pāx pāc- peace ; see pag- in Indo-European roots.

transitive verb

payed, or paid pay·ing, pays

To coat or cover (seams of a ship, for example) with waterproof material such as tar or asphalt.

Origin of pay

Obsolete French peier from Old French from Latin picāre from pix pic- pitch

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"pay." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY>.

APA Style

pay. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY

Verb

(third-person singular simple present pays, present participle paying, simple past and past participle paid or payed)

To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
he paid him to clean the place up; he paid her off the books and in kind where possible
(intransitive) To discharge, as a debt or other obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required.
she offered to pay the bill; he has paid his debt to society
To be profitable for.
It didn't pay him to keep the store open any more.
To give (something else than money).
to pay attention
(intransitive) To be profitable or worth the effort.
crime doesn't pay; it will pay to wait
(intransitive) To discharge an obligation or debt.
He was allowed to go as soon as he paid.
(intransitive) To suffer consequences.
He paid for his fun in the sun with a terrible sunburn.

Noun

(plural pays)

Money given in return for work; salary or wages.
Many employers have rules designed to keep employees from comparing their pays.

Adjective

(not comparable)

Operable or accessible on deposit of coins.
pay toilet
Pertaining to or requiring payment.

Origin

From Middle English payen, from Old French paier, from Medieval Latin pÄcÄre (“to settle, satisfy") from Latin pacare (“to pacify"). Displaced native Middle English yelden, yielden (“to pay") (from Old English Ä¡ieldan (“to pay")), Middle English schotten (“to pay, make payment") (from Old English scot, Ä¡escot (“payment")).

Verb

(third-person singular simple present pays, present participle paying, simple past and past participle payed)

(nautical) To cover (the bottom of a vessel, a seam, a spar, etc.) with tar or pitch, or a waterproof composition of tallow, resin, etc.; to smear.

Origin

Old French peier, from Latin picare (“to pitch").

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"pay." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY>.

APA Style

pay. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/PAY

pay

pay

pay

Sentence Examples

WORDS NEAR pay IN THE DICTIONARY

pay

pay

pay

Sentence Examples

WORDS NEAR pay IN THE DICTIONARY

Join YourDictionary today