pay

pay — verb

1. to give someone money because you are buying something, using a service, or sett

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA1
Definition

to give someone money because you are buying something, using a service, or settling what you owe.

Example

Lena paid cash for the vegetables at the night market.

pay + for + thing bought

We paid the plumber before lunch and kept the receipt.

Common collocations
  • pay cash
  • pay by card
  • pay the bill
  • pay the rent
  • pay for lunch
Synonyms
  • spend

    focuses on using money, not on the person who receives it

  • buy

    focuses on getting the thing, not on the act of giving money

  • settle

    more formal; often used for bills, debts, or accounts

Antonyms
  • owe

    to still need to give the money instead of giving it

  • receive

    describes the other side of the payment

Grammar Patterns

pay + person + amount

pay + amount + for + thing

pay + bill/rent/tax

pay + person + to + verb

Usage Note

With the thing you buy, English usually uses 'pay for'. With the person receiving money, English normally uses 'pay someone'. Distinguish from sense 3, where the money is specifically for a person's work.

Common Mistakes

I paid the ticket online.
I paid for the ticket online.
use 'pay for' before the thing you buy.
We spent the waiter and left.
We paid the waiter and left.
'spend' is about using money, not giving it to a person.

2. A machine, service, or other purchase has paid for itself once its savings or in

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

A machine, service, or other purchase has paid for itself once its savings or income match the original cost.

Example

The solar lights paid for themselves within two dry summers.

fixed pattern: pay for themselves

After one busy year, the new oven paid for itself.

Common collocations
  • quickly pay for itself
  • soon pay for itself
  • pay for itself in a year
Synonyms
  • recoup

    more formal; focuses on getting money back

  • recover

    can be used for getting a cost back, but is less fixed

  • break even

    focuses on not losing money overall, not only on one item

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pay for itself

pay for themselves

Usage Note

Almost always used with 'for itself' or 'for themselves'. The subject is usually a machine, system, change, or purchase that saves money over time.

Common Mistakes

The new car paid itself in two years.
The new car paid for itself in two years.
this sense needs 'for' in the fixed pattern.

3. to give a worker money for the job they have done, often as wages or salary.

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to give a worker money for the job they have done, often as wages or salary.

Example

The restaurant pays new cooks every Friday afternoon.

pay + worker + time of payment

Our school paid the band two hundred dollars for the show.

pay + worker + amount + for + work

Common collocations
  • pay staff
  • pay workers
  • pay somebody well
  • pay somebody to help
  • be paid weekly
Synonyms
  • compensate

    more formal; common in business or legal contexts

  • reward

    suggests payment or benefit for effort or success, not regular wages

  • remunerate

    formal and less common in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • underpay

    to give too little money for the work

  • owe

    to still need to pay the worker

Grammar Patterns

pay + worker + amount

pay + worker + for + work

pay + person + to + verb

be paid + amount

Usage Note

The subject is usually an employer, company, school, or customer. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about paying for goods, services, or bills rather than for someone's work.

Common Mistakes

The shop paid for the clerk every week.
The shop paid the clerk every week.
with the worker, English normally uses 'pay someone', not 'pay for someone'.
They paid me for clean the windows.
They paid me to clean the windows.
use 'to' before the verb.

4. If an action or plan pays, it brings profit or some other useful result.

4.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

If an action or plan pays, it brings profit or some other useful result.

Example

The small cafe paid once tourists returned in spring.

intransitive: business produces profit

On dark mountain roads, it pays to check the map first.

it pays to + verb

Common collocations
  • it pays to wait
  • hard work pays
  • careful planning pays
Synonyms
  • profit

    focuses more narrowly on making money

  • benefit

    broader; can describe advantage without money

  • succeed

    focuses on the good result rather than on value or gain

Antonyms
  • fail

    to bring no success or advantage

  • backfire

    to produce the opposite of the hoped-for result

Grammar Patterns

it pays to + verb

hard work pays

investment pays

Usage Note

Common subjects are businesses, plans, effort, and risks. The pattern 'it pays to + verb' means doing that action is wise because it helps or saves trouble.

Common Mistakes

The extra lessons paid us.
The extra lessons paid.
this sense does not usually take a direct object.
It pays checking prices first.
It pays to check prices first.
use the to-infinitive after 'it pays'.

5. used with certain nouns to mean giving or showing the action they name, especial

5.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

used with certain nouns to mean giving or showing the action they name, especially in formal speech or writing.

Example

During dinner, Maya paid her teacher a warm compliment.

pay + person + compliment

The mayor paid tribute to the nurses after the fire.

pay tribute to + person

Common collocations
  • pay tribute to a leader
  • pay somebody a compliment
  • pay high praise
Synonyms
  • give

    the broad everyday verb; less formal and less fixed

  • offer

    slightly more formal; common with thanks or praise

  • express

    focuses on showing a feeling or opinion in words or actions

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to choose not to give praise or respect

Grammar Patterns

pay + tribute + to + person

pay + compliment + to + person

pay + praise + to + person

Usage Note

This sense appears mostly in fixed combinations such as 'pay tribute', 'pay a compliment', and 'pay praise'. Distinguish from sense 6, where the object is usually 'attention'.

Common Mistakes

The paper paid tribute for the doctor.
The paper paid tribute to the doctor.
these nouns usually take 'to' before the person.
Maya paid a compliment for her teacher.
Maya paid her teacher a compliment.
with 'compliment', the person often comes before the noun.

6. to direct your eyes, ears, or mind carefully to someone or something.

6.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to direct your eyes, ears, or mind carefully to someone or something.

Example

Please pay attention when the nurse explains the medicine.

pay attention when + clause

The dog paid close attention to every sound outside.

pay close attention to + noun

Common collocations
  • pay attention to the teacher
  • pay close attention
  • pay no attention
  • pay little attention
Synonyms
  • notice

    can mean simply seeing or becoming aware, without careful focus

  • heed

    more formal; stresses taking warning or advice seriously

  • focus on

    stresses directing concentration, especially for longer tasks

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pay attention to + person/thing

pay close attention to + detail

pay no attention to + person/thing

Usage Note

Usually appears with the noun 'attention', especially in the pattern 'pay attention to'. Distinguish from sense 5, where 'pay' combines with formal nouns such as 'tribute' or 'compliment'.

Common Mistakes

Please pay attention on the teacher.
Please pay attention to the teacher.
this pattern takes 'to'.
I paid attention the sign.
I paid attention to the sign.
do not drop 'to' before the thing noticed.

7. to go and see someone or somewhere briefly.

7.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to go and see someone or somewhere briefly.

Example

We paid a quick visit to Grandma after the market.

pay a visit to + person

The class paid a visit to the city museum on Friday.

pay a visit to + place

Common collocations
  • pay a visit to a friend
  • pay a visit to a museum
  • pay somebody a visit
Synonyms
  • visit

    the plain everyday verb

  • call on

    often used for visiting a person, especially briefly

  • drop by

    more informal and often more casual than 'pay a visit'

Antonyms
  • avoid

    to stay away instead of going to see someone or somewhere

Grammar Patterns

pay a visit to + place

pay + person/place + a visit

Usage Note

Most often used in the noun pattern 'pay a visit to'. It is more formal than the simple verb 'visit', and it usually suggests a brief call rather than a long stay.

Common Mistakes

We paid a visit Grandma yesterday.
We paid a visit to Grandma yesterday.
use 'to' before the person or place.
They paid visit to the museum.
They paid a visit to the museum.
the noun needs an article.
Phrasal verbs

pay back

phrasal verb

To return money that you borrowed from someone.

Brian promised to pay back the loan by next month.

Can you pay me back the ten dollars you owe?

pay down

phrasal verb

To reduce the amount of a debt by making a payment.

She used her bonus to pay down her student loans.

We need to pay down the mortgage faster.

pay in

phrasal verb

To deposit money into a bank account.

I need to pay in this check before Friday.

He pays in cash every month.

pay into

phrasal verb

To put money regularly into a fund or account.

She pays into a retirement fund every month.

How much do you pay into your savings account?

pay off

phrasal verb

To finish paying all the money owed on a debt.

Aiden finally paid off his car loan last week.

It took ten years to pay off the mortgage.

pay out

phrasal verb

To give money to someone, especially as a payment or expense.

The insurance company paid out a large claim after the accident.

We had to pay out thousands for the repairs.

pay up

phrasal verb

To pay all the money that is owed, especially when reluctant.

The landlord demanded that the tenant pay up immediately.

If you don't pay up, we'll take legal action.

Idioms

cost/pay an arm and a leg

idiom

To spend or be charged a very large amount of money.

Maya paid an arm and a leg for that designer handbag.

Does it really cost an arm and a leg to fix the car?

the devil/hell to pay

idiom

A lot of trouble or serious consequences will happen.

If Dad finds out we broke the window, there'll be hell to pay.

The manager warned that there would be the devil to pay if the project failed.

he who pays the piper calls the tune

idiom

The person who provides the money for something gets to decide how it is used.

Our sponsor funds the event, so he who pays the piper calls the tune.

In business, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

not pay somebody/something any mind

idiom

To ignore or give no attention to someone or something.

Diego kept talking, but I didn't pay him any mind.

She doesn't pay any mind to the gossip about her.

pay court to somebody

idiom

To treat someone with great respect in order to win their favor or support.

The young politician paid court to the influential senator.

He paid court to the CEO hoping for a promotion.

pay your dues

idiom

To work hard and gain necessary experience before achieving success or respect.

As a junior associate, she paid her dues by working long hours.

He paid his dues in small theaters before landing a Broadway role.

pay for itself

idiom

To save enough money over time to cover its original cost.

The solar panels will pay for themselves within five years.

Does this energy-efficient appliance really pay for itself?

pay good money for something

idiom

To spend a lot of money on something, especially when it is wasted or disappointing.

I paid good money for this concert ticket, but the show was canceled.

She paid good money for that dress, and now it's torn.

pay your respects (to somebody)

idiom

To visit or send a message to someone as a sign of respect, often after a death.

Many people came to pay their respects at the funeral.

We should pay our respects to the bereaved family.

pay through the nose (for something)

idiom

To pay too much money for something.

We paid through the nose for tickets to the final match.

Why did you pay through the nose for that old car?

pay its way

idiom

To generate enough income to cover its own operating costs.

The new cafe is finally paying its way after a slow start.

Does the community center pay its way through donations?

pay your way

idiom

To pay for your own expenses without depending on others.

She worked part-time to pay her way through college.

I prefer to pay my way rather than borrow money.

rob Peter to pay Paul

idiom

To take money from one source to pay a debt to another, often causing a new problem.

He borrowed from his savings to pay the credit card bill, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Using the education fund to fix the roof is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

you pays your money and you takes your choice

idiom

Used to say that the options are equally good or bad, so the decision is up to you.

Both hotels are cheap but noisy; you pays your money and you takes your choice.

You can have tea or coffee; you pays your money and you takes your choice.

pay — noun

pay — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Pay' focuses on handing over money to another person or business, or clearing a bill that is owed. 'Spend' is broader: you can spend money, time, or effort, and it does not highlight who receives the money. 'Buy' focuses on getting the thing, so it is about the result of the exchange rather than the transfer of money itself. 'Settle' is more formal and is often used for debts, hotel bills, or accounts that need to be cleared completely. You pay the waiter, spend too much on dessert, buy a cake, and settle the final bill before leaving. Remember: when English names the thing, it often uses 'pay for'; when it names the receiver, it usually uses 'pay someone'.

pay ↗spend ↗buy ↗settle ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Pay' came into English through Old French from Latin 'pacare', a verb meaning 'make peace' or 'satisfy'. The older idea was settling a debt or ending a claim by giving what was due. From that, English developed the modern money sense, and later wider uses such as 'pay attention' and 'pay a visit'.