Meanings
pay1
present singular third person pays · participle present paying · participle past paid · past paid · obsolete participle past payed · obsolete past payed · first person past singular paid · archaic first person past singular payed · archaic present second person singular payest · past second person singular paid · archaic past second person singular paidest · archaic past second person singular paidst · archaic past second person singular payed · archaic past second person singular payedst · present singular third person pays · archaic present singular third person payeth
- ambitransitiveTo give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
pay in dollars/euros, etc.
5 more examples
pay cash or pay in cash, pay by credit/debit card
How much will the job pay?
She is paying him to clean the place up.
He doesn't have money, but he pays rent in chores and housework.
He was paid off the books and in kind where possible.
- intransitivetransitiveTo deposit into an account.
I pay a portion of each paycheck into a savings account.
- ambitransitiveTo discharge, as a debt or other obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required.
She offered to pay the bill.
5 more examples
to pay compensation, to pay a fine
He is paying his debt to society.
He was allowed to go as soon as the kidnappers were paid.
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 37:21The petty ſtreames that paie a dailie det / To their ſalt ſoveraigne with their freſh fals haſt, / Adde to his flowe, but alter not his taſt.
1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC - intransitivetransitiveTo be profitable; to be worth it.
Crime doesn’t pay.
2 more examples
It didn't pay him to keep the store open any more.
It will pay to wait.
- transitiveTo give (something else than money).
to pay attention, to pay tribute, to pay a visit
2 more examples
not paying me a welcome
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.
1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 9 - intransitiveTo suffer consequences, especially justly.
He paid for his fun in the sun with a terrible sunburn.
- transitiveTo admit that a joke, punchline, etc., was funny.
Sutho took a pull at his Johnny Walker and Coke and laughed that trademark laugh of his and said: `Okay. I'll pay that all right.'
1996, Jon Byrell, Lairs, Urgers and Coat-Tuggers, Sydney: Ironbark, page 294
plural pays
- countableuncountableMoney given in return for work; salary or wages.
Many employers have rules designed to keep employees from comparing their pays.
1 more example
The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC - countablerareA paying job; a paying concern.
"You can if you like. I'll drop in each day to see how she gets on." "Oh, will you? That's a relief. All the same, I wouldn't say she was a very good pay, if you spend too much time on her." "Oh, bad pays make up half a doctor's job."
1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 36
- not comparableOperable or accessible on deposit of coins.
pay toilet
- not comparablePertaining to or requiring payment.
pay television
pay2
present singular third person pays · participle present paying · participle past payed · past payed · participle past paid · past paid
Pay3
plural Pays
- countableuncountableA diminutive of the unisex given name Payton.
- countableuncountableA surname.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo discharge, as a debt or other obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required.
More synonyms by meaning
verbconvey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
pay · verb, noun, adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*peh₂ḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*péh₂ḱs
- Proto-Italic*pāks
- Latinpāx
- Latinpācō
- Old Frenchpaiier
- Middle Englishpayen
- Englishpay
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →pay · verb
- Latinpicāre“to cover with pitch”
- Old Frenchpeier
- Englishpay
From Old French peier, from Latin picāre (“to cover with pitch”).
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans betaal
- betaalto give money in exchange for goods or services
Ancient Greek τίνω, μισθός
- τίνω (tínō)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- μισθός (misthós)money given in return for work
- ὀψώνιον (opsṓnion)money given in return for work
Arabic دَفَعَ, خَلَّصَ
- دَفَعَ (dafaʕa)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- خَلَّصَ (ḵallaṣa)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- دفع (dafaʕ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- دَفَع (dafaʕ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- خلص (ḵallaṣ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- دفع (dafaʕ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- معاشmoney given in return for work
- أجرmoney given in return for work
Basque ordaindu, pagatu
- ordainduto give money in exchange for goods or services
- pagatuto give money in exchange for goods or services
Bengali টাকা দেওয়া
- টাকা দেওয়া (ṭaka deōẇa)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Bulgarian пла́щам, платя́
- пла́щам (pláštam)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- платя́ (platjá)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- заплащам (zaplaštam)to discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- изплащам (izplaštam)intransitive: to discharge an obligation or debt
- изплащам се (izplaštam se)to be profitable for
- изгоден съм (izgoden săm)to be profitable for
- плащане (plaštane)money given in return for work
- заплата (zaplata)money given in return for work
- платен (platen)operable or accessible on deposit of coins
- платежен (platežen)pertaining to or requiring payment
- калафатя (kalafatja)to cover with a waterproof substance
Catalan pagar
- pagarto give money in exchange for goods or services
Chinese Mandarin 付, 支付
- 付 (fù)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- 支付 (zhīfù)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- 給錢 /给钱 (gěiqián)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- 納 /纳 (nà)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Czech platit, vyplatit se
- platitto give money in exchange for goods or services
- vyplatit seto be profitable — see also pay off
Danish betale, betale sig
- betaleto give money in exchange for goods or services
- betale sigto be profitable — see also pay off
- lønne sigto be profitable — see also pay off
- betalingmoney given in return for work
- betalings-operable or accessible on deposit of coins
- betalings-pertaining to or requiring payment
Dutch betalen, lonen
- betalento give money in exchange for goods or services
- lonento be profitable — see also pay off
- opbrengento be profitable — see also pay off
Esperanto pagi, profitigi
- pagito give money in exchange for goods or services
- profitigito be profitable — see also pay off
Estonian maksma
- maksmato give money in exchange for goods or services
Finnish maksaa, korvata
- maksaato give money in exchange for goods or services
- korvatato give money in exchange for goods or services
- antaa korvausto give money in exchange for goods or services
- maksaato discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- maksaaintransitive: to discharge an obligation or debt
- kannattaato be profitable for
- antaato give (e.g. attention)
- kannattaato be profitable — see also pay off
- maksaaintransitive: to suffer consequences — see also pay the price
- kuukausipalkkamoney given in return for work
- vuosipalkkamoney given in return for work
- kiinteä palkkamoney given in return for work
- palkkamoney given in return for work
- liksamoney given in return for work
- maksullinenoperable or accessible on deposit of coins
- maksu-operable or accessible on deposit of coins
- maksullinenpertaining to or requiring payment
- maksu-pertaining to or requiring payment
- tervatato cover with a waterproof substance
- pietäto cover with a waterproof substance
- tiivistääto cover with a waterproof substance
French payer, payer
- payerto give money in exchange for goods or services
- payerto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- verserto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- réglerto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- payerintransitive: to discharge an obligation or debt
- donnerto give (e.g. attention)
- payerto be profitable — see also pay off
- payerintransitive: to suffer consequences — see also pay the price
- payemoney given in return for work
- paiemoney given in return for work
- payantoperable or accessible on deposit of coins
- payanteoperable or accessible on deposit of coins
- payantpertaining to or requiring payment
- payantepertaining to or requiring payment
German bezahlen, zahlen
- bezahlento give money in exchange for goods or services
- zahlento give money in exchange for goods or services
- zaleto give money in exchange for goods or services
- schenkento give (e.g. attention)
- gebührento give (e.g. attention)
- sich lohnento be profitable — see also pay off
- Gehaltmoney given in return for work
Greek πληρώνω, αποδίδω
- πληρώνω (pliróno)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- αποδίδω (apodído)to be profitable — see also pay off
- μισθός (misthós)money given in return for work
Hebrew שילם \ שִׁלֵּם
- שילם \ שִׁלֵּם (shilém)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Hindi पैसे देना, चुकाना
- पैसे देना (paise denā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- चुकाना (cukānā)to discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
Hungarian fizet, kifizet
- fizetto give money in exchange for goods or services
- kifizetto give money in exchange for goods or services
- kifizetto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- befizetto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- folyósítto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- rendezto discharge by giving or doing what is due or required
- kifizetintransitive: to discharge an obligation or debt
- megfizetintransitive: to discharge an obligation or debt
- törlesztintransitive: to discharge an obligation or debt
- kifizetődikto be profitable for
- megérito be profitable for
- rentábilisto be profitable for
- fizetésmoney given in return for work
- zsoldmoney given in return for work
- bérmoney given in return for work
- fizetségmoney given in return for work
- díjazásmoney given in return for work
- járandóságmoney given in return for work
- fizetősoperable or accessible on deposit of coins
- fizető-operable or accessible on deposit of coins
Icelandic borga, greiða
- borgato give money in exchange for goods or services
- greiðato give money in exchange for goods or services
- gjaldato give money in exchange for goods or services
Indonesian membayar
- membayarto give money in exchange for goods or services
Irish íoc, díol
- íocto give money in exchange for goods or services
- díolto give money in exchange for goods or services
- pámoney given in return for work
- tuarastalmoney given in return for work
Italian pagare, paga
- pagareto give money in exchange for goods or services
- pagamoney given in return for work
Japanese 払う, 支払う
- 払う (harau)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- 支払う (shiharau)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Korean 지불하다, 내다
- 지불하다 (jibulhada)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- 내다 (naeda)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- 계산하다 (gyesanhada)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Latin solvo, persolvo
- solvoto give money in exchange for goods or services
- persolvoto give money in exchange for goods or services
- defungorto give money in exchange for goods or services
- compensoto be profitable — see also pay off
- pensoto be profitable — see also pay off
- repensoto be profitable — see also pay off
- mercēsmoney given in return for work
- manūpretiummoney given in return for work
Latvian maksāt
- maksātto give money in exchange for goods or services
Lithuanian sumokėti
- sumokėtito give money in exchange for goods or services
Malay bayar
- bayarto give money in exchange for goods or services
Māori utua
- utuato give money in exchange for goods or services
Norwegian Bokmål betale, lønne seg
- betaleto give money in exchange for goods or services
- lønne segto be profitable — see also pay off
Persian پرداختن, مزد
- پرداختن (pardâxtan)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- مزدmoney given in return for work
Polish płacić, zapłacić
- płacićto give money in exchange for goods or services
- zapłacićto give money in exchange for goods or services
- płacićintransitive: to suffer consequences — see also pay the price
- zapłacićintransitive: to suffer consequences — see also pay the price
- płacamoney given in return for work
- pensjamoney given in return for work
Portuguese pagar, prestar
- pagarto give money in exchange for goods or services
- prestarto give (e.g. attention)
- compensarto be profitable — see also pay off
- pagamentomoney given in return for work
Romanian plăti, merita
- plătito give money in exchange for goods or services
- meritato be profitable — see also pay off
- a fi profitabilto be profitable — see also pay off
- platămoney given in return for work
Russian плати́ть, заплати́ть
- плати́ть (platítʹ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- заплати́ть (zaplatítʹ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- опла́чивать (opláčivatʹ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- оплати́ть (oplatítʹ)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- уделя́ть (udeljátʹ)to give (e.g. attention)
- удели́ть (udelítʹ)to give (e.g. attention)
- окупа́ться (okupátʹsja)to be profitable — see also pay off
- окупи́ться (okupítʹsja)to be profitable — see also pay off
- зарпла́та (zarpláta)money given in return for work
- пла́тный (plátnyj)operable or accessible on deposit of coins
- пла́тный (plátnyj)pertaining to or requiring payment
Scottish Gaelic pàigh, pàigh
- pàighto give money in exchange for goods or services
- pàighto be profitable — see also pay off
- pàighmoney given in return for work
- cosnadhmoney given in return for work
- tuarasdalmoney given in return for work
Slovak platiť, zaplatiť
- platiťto give money in exchange for goods or services
- zaplatiťto give money in exchange for goods or services
Spanish pagar, cashquear
- pagarto give money in exchange for goods or services
- cashquearto give money in exchange for goods or services
- garparto give money in exchange for goods or services
- costearto give money in exchange for goods or services
- recudirto give money in exchange for goods or services
- abonarto give money in exchange for goods or services
- prestarto give (e.g. attention)
- ponerto give (e.g. attention)
- pagarto be profitable — see also pay off
- redituarto be profitable — see also pay off
- pagarintransitive: to suffer consequences — see also pay the price
- atenerse [with a]intransitive: to suffer consequences — see also pay the price
- pagamoney given in return for work
- calafatearto cover with a waterproof substance
Swahili lipa
- lipato give money in exchange for goods or services
Swedish betala, erlägga
- betalato give money in exchange for goods or services
- erläggato give money in exchange for goods or services
- betala sigto be profitable — see also pay off
- löna sigto be profitable — see also pay off
Tagalog magbayad
- magbayadto give money in exchange for goods or services
Thai จ่าย
- จ่าย (jàai)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Turkish ödemek
- ödemekto give money in exchange for goods or services
Ukrainian плати́ти, заплати́ти
- плати́ти (platýty)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- заплати́ти (zaplatýty)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Urdu قیمت دینا, ادا کرنا
- قیمت دینا (qīmat denā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- ادا کرنا (adā karnā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- ویتن دینا (vetan denā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- چکانا (cukānā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- رقم دینا (raqm denā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
- پیسے دینا (paise denā)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Vietnamese trả, thanh toán
- trảto give money in exchange for goods or services
- thanh toánto give money in exchange for goods or services
- lươngmoney given in return for work
- tiền côngmoney given in return for work
Welsh talu
- taluto give money in exchange for goods or services
Yiddish באַצאָלן
- באַצאָלן (batsoln)to give money in exchange for goods or services
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with pay
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
pay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay
“pay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pay,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay.
Source: pay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.