unpay

U1N1P3A1Y4

verb

To undo, take back, or cancel (a payment etc.).

Scrabble 10

Meanings

verbunpay (third-person singular simple present unpays, present participle unpaying, simple past and past participle unpaid)

present singular third person unpays · participle present unpaying · participle past unpaid · past unpaid

  1. To undo, take back, or cancel (a payment etc.).

    Pay her the debt you owe her, and unpay the villany you have done her

    c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]
    1 more example

    'It seems to me, young man, that you are rather particular as to how things are done for you. If you had begun to be just a little bit as particular in making the debts as you are in the way of having them paid, there would be a little less trouble and expense all round. However, the debts have been paid, and we can't unpay them. But of course you can repay me the money if you like. It amounts in all to four thousand three hundred and seventeen pounds, twelve shillings and sixpence, and I have paid every penny of it out of my own pocket. If you can't pay it yourself, perhaps your father would like to do so.'

    1905, Bram Stoker, “Chapter XXI”, in The Man

Origin

  1. Middle Englishunpayen
  2. Englishunpay

From Middle English unpayen, unpaien, equivalent to un- + pay.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

unpay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unpay

MLA

“unpay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unpay. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unpay,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unpay.

Source: unpay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.