pay

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
2. (ambitransitive) To discharge, as a debt or other obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required.
3. (transitive) To be profitable for.
4. (transitive) To give (something else than money).
5. (intransitive) To be profitable or worth the effort.
6. (intransitive) To discharge an obligation or debt.
7. (intransitive) To suffer consequences.
8. (transitive) To admit that a joke, punchline, etc., was funny.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Money given in return for work; salary or wages.
2. (countable, rare) A paying job; a paying concern.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Operable or accessible on deposit of coins.
2. (not-comparable) Pertaining to or requiring payment.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/peɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: payen

In summary

From Middle English payen, from Old French paiier (“pay”), from Medieval Latin pācāre (“to settle, satisfy”) from Latin pācāre (“to pacify”). In this sense, displaced native Old English ġield (“pay”) and ġieldan (“to pay”), whence Modern English yield.

Synonyms

salary

wages

wage

give

remuneration

compensate

payment

💸

reward

repay

settle

hire

earnings

stipend

disburse

recompense

compensation

remunerate

yield

pay off

spend

render

ante up

reimburse

refund

bear

🐻

pay out

emolument

fee

discharge

defray

pay up

pay back

deliver

hand over

contribute

be profitable

indemnify

invest

income

return

charge

buy

🛍️

do

retaliation

purchase

🛍️

punishment

shell out

payoff

pay for

allocate

Translations

payer

💸

pagar

💸

pagare

💸

pagar

💸

bezahlen

💸

betalen

💸

zahlen

💸

paga

💸

Lohn

salario

💸

płacić

Gehalt

salaire

salario

paga

💸

Sentences

My tax dollars pay for those public school proms .