repay

repay — verb

1. to give back money that you previously received from a lender, such as a bank, a

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to give back money that you previously received from a lender, such as a bank, a company, or another person, often by making a series of payments

Example

Hao planned to repay the student loan within five years after graduation.

collocation: repay a loan

The bank gave Jabari three years to repay the full amount.

Common collocations
  • repay a loan
  • repay a debt
  • repay a mortgage
  • repay the full amount
  • repay with interest
  • repay in installments
Synonyms
  • pay off

    more specific: means completing all payments, especially for a loan or mortgage

  • reimburse

    more formal; typically used when expenses are refunded through an organization

  • settle

    slightly more formal; can also mean closing an account or resolving a bill

Antonyms
  • borrow

    opposite action: receiving money with the intention to repay later

Grammar Patterns

repay + noun phrase (the loan, the debt)

repay + someone + amount

repay + someone

Usage Note

The amount or debt can follow the verb directly as the object ('repay the loan'), or the person receiving the money can serve as the indirect object placed before the amount ('repay him €200').

Common Mistakes

I repaid back the loan last month.
I repaid the loan last month.
'repay' already contains the idea of 'back,' so adding 'back' is repetitive.
She repaid the money to him back.
She repaid him the money.
place the person directly after the verb, without 'to' or 'back.'

2. to show your gratitude to someone by doing something good for them or giving the

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to show your gratitude to someone by doing something good for them or giving them something, after they have helped you or treated you generously

Example

Noa wanted to repay her aunt's kindness by helping with the garden every weekend.

collocation: repay someone's kindness

Ethan helped Joshua move in, and he repaid the favor with a home-cooked meal.

pattern: repay + person + with + something

Common collocations
  • repay kindness
  • repay a favor
  • repay someone's efforts
  • repay someone's trust
  • repay someone's hospitality
Synonyms
  • reciprocate

    more formal; often used for emotions or gestures rather than concrete gifts

  • return

    broader and more general; can be used for favors, gestures, or actions

  • require

    very formal and literary; uncommon in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • ignore

    opposite: failing to acknowledge someone's help or generosity

Grammar Patterns

repay + someone + for + something

repay + someone + with + something

repay + noun phrase (kindness, effort, trust)

Usage Note

Commonly used in the pattern 'repay someone for something' to name the helpful action, and 'repay someone with something' to name what was given in return. The subject is usually a person or a grateful organization.

Common Mistakes

She repaid his kindness with giving him a ride.
She repaid his kindness by giving him a ride.
use 'by' + -ing to name the action taken, not 'with' + -ing.
He repaid back her trust.
He repaid her trust.
'back' is always redundant with 'repay,' even in the non-financial sense.

Word family

  • repayment
    nounB1
  • repayable
    adjectiveB2
  • non-repayable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Repay' is the most general verb for returning borrowed money, covering everything from small personal loans to large financial debts. 'Pay off' is more specific and implies that the full amount has been cleared, often ahead of schedule — for example, 'She paid off her credit card debt before the due date.' 'Reimburse' is a formal term used when someone is given back money they spent for an organization, such as travel expenses or work-related purchases. 'Settle' is a slightly more formal alternative that often focuses on closing an account or resolving an outstanding bill, as in 'He settled the invoice with the supplier at the end of the month.' In casual conversation, 'repay' is the most natural choice for loans between friends or family: 'Can you repay me the €20 I lent you for lunch?'

repay ↗pay off ↗reimbursesettle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • repayment
  • repayment plan
  • repayment schedule
  • repayment period

Adverbs

  • fully repay
  • generously repay
  • eventually repay
  • gradually repay

Phrases

  • repay in full
  • repay over time
  • repay by installments

Prepositions

  • repay with
  • repay for

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Repay' was formed in English around the mid-16th century by adding the prefix 're-' (meaning 'back' or 'again') to the verb 'pay.' 'Pay' itself came into English through Old French 'paier' from Latin 'pacare,' which originally meant 'to pacify' or 'to satisfy' — the idea being that paying a debt restores peace between two parties. The word 'pax' (peace) is the ultimate Latin root.