pay
verbnounadjectiveverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United States//peɪ//
- United States/[pʰeɪ̯]/
To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
verb
- 1
To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
pay cash or pay in cash, pay by credit/debit card
pay in dollars/euros, etc.
How much will the job pay?
She is paying him to clean the place up.
- 2
To deposit into an account.
I pay a portion of each paycheck into a savings account.
- 3
To discharge, as a debt or other obligation, by giving or doing what is due or required.
to pay compensation, to pay a fine
She offered to pay the bill.
He is paying his debt to society.
He was allowed to go as soon as the kidnappers were paid.
- 4
To be profitable; to be worth it.
It didn't pay him to keep the store open any more.
Crime doesn’t pay.
It will pay to wait.
- 5
To cover, as a cost.
Those investments paid for her college education.
- 6
To yield as a benefit.
to pay dividends; to pay interest
You will get paid from this investment yearly.
- 7
To give (something else than money).
to pay attention, to pay tribute, to pay a visit
not paying me a welcome
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.
- 8
To suffer consequences, especially justly.
He paid for his fun in the sun with a terrible sunburn.
- 9
To 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.'
Etymology
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.
noun
- 1
Money given in return for work; salary or wages.
Many employers have rules designed to keep employees from comparing their pays.
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.
- 2
rareA 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."
adjective
- 1
Operable or accessible on deposit of coins.
pay toilet
- 2
Pertaining to or requiring payment.
pay television
verb
- 1
To cover (the bottom of a vessel, a seam, a spar, etc.) with tar or pitch, or a waterproof composition of tallow, resin, etc.; to smear.
Etymology
From Old French peier, from Latin picāre (“to cover with pitch”).
Forms
- plural
- pays
- past tense
- paid, payed
- past participle
- paid, payed
- present participle
- paying
- third person singular
- pays
pay · To give money or other compensation to in exchange for goods or services.
Pay · A diminutive of the unisex given name Payton.payback · An act of revenge.paycheck · A periodic payment, usually in the form of a paper check,…