pay

PAY/peɪ/

Verbpays, paying, paid

Noun pluralpays

9 meanings of pay

Practice

1
verbtransitive or intransitive
To give money for things you buy, for work done for you, or for money you owe.
I will pay the driver when we get there.
He paid the waiter and left a small tip.
UsageSay pay for something: pay for lunch (not ~~incorrect: pay lunch~~). You pay a person.
Similarcompensate
2
wagesnouncountable or uncountable
The money you get for doing your job.
The job is hard, but the pay is good.
Her pay goes up a little every year.
UsageSay the pay is good or higher pay, with no a.
Similarwages, salary, earnings, income
3
give attentionverbtransitive
To give something that is not money, such as attention or a visit.
Please pay attention to the teacher during the lesson.
She paid me a visit while I was sick.
UsageSay pay attention to, pay a visit, pay a compliment.
Similargive, offer, extend
Note
4
adjective
Something you must pay money to use, not free, like a pay phone or pay TV channel.
We watched the fight on a pay channel at my uncle's house.
The pay lot near the beach fills up early in the summer.
Similarpaid, fee-based
Oppositefree
5
be punishedverbintransitive
To be punished or face something bad because of what you did.
If you cheat on the test, you will pay for it later.
He paid for staying up late when he overslept the next morning.
Similarsuffer
Note
6
verbintransitive
To bring a profit or a good result. To be worth doing.
Like planting seeds now so you can pick fruit later.
It pays to ask questions when you do not understand.
Hard work does not always pay right away.
UsageSay it pays to do something: it pays to ask.

Less common meanings

7
nounrarecountable
A person judged by how well they pay their bills, as in a good pay or a bad pay.
Note
8
admit it's funnyverbcolloquialAustraliaNew Zealandtransitive
To admit that a joke was funny, even if you did not want to laugh.
Okay, you got me laughing. I'll pay that.
Even Mom smiled at the silly joke and said she would pay that one.
UsagePeople say I'll pay that after a good joke.
Note
9
verb
To cover the seams or bottom of a boat with tar or a sticky coating to keep water out.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of pay apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came through Old French and Medieval Latin from Latin pācāre, which meant 'to pacify' or 'to satisfy.'

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Pay came through Old French and Medieval Latin from Latin pācāre. en.wiktionary.org
Latin pācāre meant 'to pacify'; its Medieval Latin meanings included 'to satisfy'. en.wiktionary.org