PAY (paid)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pay mean? 

• PAY (noun)
  The noun PAY has 1 sense:

1. something that remunerates

  Familiarity information: PAY used as a noun is very rare.

• PAY (verb)
  The verb PAY has 11 senses:

1. give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

2. convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow

3. cancel or discharge a debt

4. bring in

5. do or give something to somebody in return

6. dedicate

7. be worth it

8. render

9. bear (a cost or penalty), in recompense for some action

10. make a compensation for

11. discharge or settle

  Familiarity information: PAY used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something that remunerates

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

earnings; pay; remuneration; salary; wage

Context example:

they saved a quarter of all their earnings

Hypernyms ("pay" is a kind of...):

regular payment (a payment made at regular times)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pay"):

double time (a doubled wage (for working overtime))

found (food and lodging provided in addition to money)

half-pay (reduced wage paid to someone who is not working full time)

living wage (a wage sufficient for a worker and family to subsist comfortably)

merit pay (extra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit (especially to school teachers))

minimum wage (the lowest wage that an employer is allowed to pay; determined by contract or by law)

pay envelope; pay packet (wages enclosed in an envelope for distribution to the wage earner)

sick pay (wages paid to an employee who is on sick leave)

strike pay (money paid to strikers from union funds)

take-home pay (what is left of your pay after deductions for taxes and dues and insurance etc)

combat pay (extra pay for soldiers engaged in active combat)

Holonyms ("pay" is a part of...):

payroll; paysheet (a list of employees and their salaries)

Derivation:

pay (cancel or discharge a debt)

pay (do or give something to somebody in return)

pay (bring in)

pay (give money, usually in exchange for goods or services)

• PAY (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

Pay the waitress, please

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pay"):

prefer (give preference to one creditor over another)

kick back (pay a kickback; make an illegal payment)

defray (bear the expenses of)

pay cash (pay (for something) with cash)

charge (pay with a credit card; pay with plastic money; postpone payment by recording a purchase as a debt)

disburse; pay out (expend, as from a fund)

prepay (pay for something before receiving it)

foot; pick (pay for something)

give back; refund; repay; return (pay back)

bribe; buy; corrupt; grease one's palms (make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence)

drop; expend; spend (pay out)

pay off; redeem (pay off (loans or promissory notes))

remit (send (money) in payment)

tithe (pay a tenth of one's income, especially to the church)

compensate; indemnify; recompense; repair (make amends for; pay compensation for)

go Dutch (share expenses equally and split the cost of something)

underpay (pay too little)

overpay (pay too much)

compensate; recompense; remunerate (make payment to; compensate)

contribute; put up (provide)

finance (obtain or provide money for)

subsidise; subsidize (secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy, as of nations or military forces)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sentence example:

They pay him to write the letter

Also:

fund (furnish money for)

pay off (pay off (loans or promissory notes))

pay off (pay someone with influence in order to receive a favor)

pay off (eliminate by paying off (debts))

pay out (expend, as from a fund)

Derivation:

payment (the act of paying money)

payment (a sum of money paid or a claim discharged)

payer (a person who pays money for something)

payee (a person to whom money is paid)

pay (something that remunerates)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

give; pay

Context example:

pay attention

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pay"):

extend; offer (offer verbally)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cancel or discharge a debt

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

ante up; pay; pay up

Context example:

pay up, please!

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

pay (discharge or settle)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pay"):

liquidate; pay off (eliminate by paying off (debts))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They pay

Derivation:

pay (something that remunerates)

payment (the act of paying money)

payment (a sum of money paid or a claim discharged)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Bring in

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bear; pay; yield

Context example:

How much does this savings certificate pay annually?

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

bring in; clear; earn; gain; make; pull in; realise; realize; take in (earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages)

Domain category:

investment; investment funds (money that is invested with an expectation of profit)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pay"):

clear; net (yield as a net profit)

pay off (yield a profit or result)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

pay (something that remunerates)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Do or give something to somebody in return

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

compensate; make up; pay; pay off

Context example:

Does she pay you for the work you are doing?

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

settle (dispose of; make a financial settlement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sentence example:

They pay to move

Also:

pay back; pay off (take vengeance on or get even)

Derivation:

pay (something that remunerates)

payee (a person to whom money is paid)

payer (a person who pays money for something)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Dedicate

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

devote; give; pay

Context example:

pay attention to

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Verb group:

give; sacrifice (endure the loss of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 7

Meaning:

Be worth it

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

It pays to go through the trouble

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

It ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 8

Meaning:

Render

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

pay a call

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

make (perform or carry out)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s on something
Somebody ----s somebody something

Sentence example:

They pay the money

Sense 9

Meaning:

Bear (a cost or penalty), in recompense for some action

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

You'll pay for this opinion later

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

abide; bear; brook; digest; endure; put up; stand; stick out; stomach; suffer; support; tolerate (put up with something or somebody unpleasant)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pay"):

get one's lumps; take one's lumps (suffer the results or consequences of one's behavior or actions)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

payer (a person who pays money for something)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Make a compensation for

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

a favor that cannot be paid back

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

repay; requite (make repayment for or return something)

Verb group:

fix; get; pay back; pay off (take vengeance on or get even)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 11

Meaning:

Discharge or settle

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

pay an obligation

Hypernyms (to "pay" is one way to...):

settle (dispose of; make a financial settlement)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pay"):

ante up; pay; pay up (cancel or discharge a debt)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

payer (a person who pays money for something)

payment (the act of paying money)

payment (a sum of money paid or a claim discharged)

 Context examples 

The PI prepares and carries out the clinical trial protocol (plan for the study) or research paid for by the grant.

(PI, NCI Dictionary)

Most men need to pay more attention to their health.

(Men's Health, NIH)

You have to pay part of the cost of prescription drugs.

(Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)

Lady Russell and Anne paid their compliments to them once, when Anne could not but feel that Uppercross was already quite alive again.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Having paid his debts, therefore, in the most honourable manner, he retreated with his daughter to the town of Lucerne, where he lived unknown and in wretchedness.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

What we pay rates and taxes for I don’t know, when any ruffian can come in and break one’s goods.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You pay her, of course; I should think it quite as expensive,—more so; for you have them both to keep in addition.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Many other types you have to pay for.

(Home Care Services, NIH)

Why should he pay her such attentions as to make her quarrel with my brother, and then fly off himself?

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I went to the house agents, you know, and they said that Mr. Garcia’s rent was paid up all right and that everything was in order at Wisteria Lodge.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)