pay the bills

verb

Of a job or profession, to provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

“Being a dentist isn't so glamorous, but it pays the bills.”

Similar
pay the rent
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Meanings

verbpay the bills (third-person singular simple present pays the bills, present participle paying the bills, simple past and past participle paid the bills)

present singular third person pays the bills · participle present paying the bills · participle past paid the bills · past paid the bills

  1. idiomaticOf a job or profession, to provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

    Being a dentist isn't so glamorous, but it pays the bills.

    Synonyms: pay the rent

Synonyms & antonyms

verbOf a job or profession, to provide enough income to sustain one's lifestyle.

Similar
pay the rent
Also see
pay the rent

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 維持生活 /维持生活, 當飯吃 /当饭吃
  • 維持生活 /维持生活 (wéichí shēnghuó)provide enough income
  • 當飯吃 /当饭吃 (dāng fàn chī)provide enough income
Dutch rekeningen betalen
  • rekeningen betalenprovide enough income
Finnish tuoda voita leivän päälle
  • tuoda voita leivän päälleprovide enough income
French payer les factures
  • payer les facturesprovide enough income
German die Rechnungen bezahlen
  • die Rechnungen bezahlenprovide enough income
Hungarian meg lehet élni belőle, ki lehet jönni belőle
  • meg lehet élni belőleprovide enough income
  • ki lehet jönni belőleprovide enough income
Japanese 勘定を支払う
  • 勘定を支払う (kanjō o shiharau)provide enough income
Polish płacić rachunki, zapłacić rachunki
  • płacić rachunkiprovide enough income
  • zapłacić rachunkiprovide enough income
Portuguese pagar as contas
  • pagar as contasprovide enough income
Russian плати́ть по счета́м
  • плати́ть по счета́м (platítʹ po sčetám)provide enough income
Spanish pagar las cuentas
  • pagar las cuentasprovide enough income
Cite this entry
APA

pay the bills. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20the%20bills

MLA

“pay the bills.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20the%20bills. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pay the bills,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20the%20bills.

Source: pay the bills on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.