26984 words

pay

30 definitions • 75 examples
1
to give money to someone for something you want to buy or for services provided:

Examples:

pay something for something How much did you pay for the tickets?
I pay my taxes.
[ + two objects ] I'll pay you the fiver back tomorrow.
pay for I'll pay for your ticket.
pay in cash I paid the driver in cash.
pay by cash Would you prefer to pay by cash?
pay by cheque Very few people pay by cheque these days.
[ + obj + to infinitive ] I think we'll need to pay a builder to take this wall down.
pay someone for something/doing something Did Linda pay you for looking after her cats while she was away?
I paid a lot of money to get the washing machine fixed and it still doesn't work!
2
If something pays for itself, it works so well that it saves the same amount of money that it costs:

Examples:

The advertising should pay for itself.
3
to give money to someone for work that they have done:

Examples:

The company pays its interns $4,000 a month.
We pay €200 a day for this kind of work.
pay well Accountancy may be boring but at least it pays well.
poorly paid Most of these women are very poorly paid and work in terrible conditions.
4
to give a profit or advantage to someone or something:

Examples:

it pays to It never pays to take risks where human safety is concerned.
5
to give or do something:

Examples:

pay tribute to The commander paid tribute to the courage of his troops.
be paid a compliment It's always nice to be paid a compliment.
pay your respects to someone A crowd of mourners gathered to pay their respects to the dead man.
6
to watch, listen to, or think about something carefully:

Examples:

You weren't paying attention to what I was saying.
7
to visit a person or place, usually for a short time:

Examples:

I'll pay you a call when I'm in the area.
8
the money you receive for doing a job:

Examples:

It's a nice job but the pay is appalling.
9
to work for someone, especially secretly:

Examples:

He was confronted by an angry mob, some of them in the pay of his rival.
10
to give money to someone for goods or services:

Examples:

[ T ] We paid a lot of money for that table.
[ I ] Would you prefer to pay by credit card?
[ I ] fig. We all eventually pay for our mistakes (= suffer or are punished because of our mistakes).
11
To pay is also to give someone or something money for an amount you owe:

Examples:

[ T ] We’ve got to pay the rent.
[ T ] We have so many bills to pay.
12
to give money to someone that the person has earned for work done:

Examples:

[ T ] We pay our salespeople a salary plus a bonus based on their sales.
[ I ] Construction jobs generally pay well.
13
to give a profit, advantage, or benefit:

Examples:

[ + to infinitive ] It never pays to take risks where human safety is concerned.
The moral is, "Crime doesn’t pay."
14
to provide or do something:

Examples:

Please pay attention.
It’s always nice to be paid a compliment.
15
to give money to someone for a product or service:

Examples:

pay for sth Who paid for the meal?
pay sb to do sth We'll need to pay a builder to take this wall down.
pay sb for sth How much did they pay you for the computer?
pay sb for doing sth Did the company pay you for doing the quote?
pay in/with sth They paid for the car in cash.
pay to do sth I paid a lot of money to get the washing machine fixed and it still doesn't work!
pay a deposit You will need to pay a small deposit if you want us to keep the radio for you.
16
if something pays for itself, it works so well that it saves the same amount of money that it cost:

Examples:

The renewable energy system will have paid for itself within ten years.
17
to give money to someone for work that they have done:

Examples:

He hates his job, but at least it pays well.
Most of these women are very poorly paid and work in terrible conditions.
pay $20/€50/£5, etc. for sth They pay $30 an hour for editing work.
I don't get paid until the end of the month.
18
to give someone money that you owe them:

Examples:

pay bills/rent I haven't got enough money to pay the rent this month.
pay a debt/fine He was ordered by the court to pay a $100,000 fine.
Will I have to pay income tax on any monies I receive?
pay sb sth We haven't yet paid the contractor what we owe him for the work.
19

Examples:

make sth pay The cinema will be closed down at the end of October, as it has failed to attract enough patrons to make it pay.
20
to give an advantage to someone or something:

Examples:

pay to do sth When it comes to your retirement, it doesn't pay to take too many risks.
21
if a bank account or an investment pays a particular amount of money or interest, the person who owns it will receive that amount of money or interest:

Examples:

The account will pay 4% gross on credit balances.
pay interest/a return The bank will pay interest if your account is in credit.
22
if something you do pays dividends, it has good results at a time in the future:

Examples:

The company found that the extra training really did pay dividends.
23
if a business pays its way, it makes at least the same amount of money as it costs to operate:

Examples:

When Swan Lake reached the West End, there had to be eight performances a week for the production to pay its way.
24
to pay more for something than it is really worth:

Examples:

Small businesses have always paid over the odds for office supplies.
25
to experience the bad result of something you have done or that someone else has done:

Examples:

It is inexcusable for students to be paying the price for backroom deals in the student loan industry.
26
to pay too much money for something:

Examples:

There's no point in getting a bargain flight only to pay through the nose for car hire.
27
to pay a lot of money for something:

Examples:

Many wealthy businessmen are prepared to pay top dollar for an exclusive property in this area.
28
to pay for yourself rather than allowing someone else to pay:

Examples:

I got a part-time job to help pay my way through university.
29
the money you receive for doing a job:

Examples:

There has been a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.
Workers threatened to strike over the low pay of the support staff.
They agreed to give six months off work with full pay for staff whose jobs are to be outsourced.
The current starting pay is about $500 a week.
a pay award/deal/settlement Councils will have to fund the teachers' pay award from within their own resources.
a pay cut Employees have a choice between taking a pay cut or working more.
a pay hike/increase Pilots have received annual pay increases of only 1.5% since the ruling.
redundancy/severance pay
executive pay
30
to work for someone, especially secretly:

Examples:

Doctors in the pay of drug companies were accused yesterday of exaggerating the benefits of antidepressant drugs for children.

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