v. 1 recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify; repay, refund, reimburse; pay off, pay out, pay up, satisfy, clear, remit, discharge, liquidate, settle, honour, meet Do you think that nurses are poorly paid? You have 30 days to pay this invoice 2 reward, benefit, recompense, requite, compensate Thurlew has been amply paid by having his name engraved on the roll of honour 3 extend, bestow, transmit, pass on, give, deliver Please pay my respects to your wife 4 benefit, profit, avail, (turn out to) be or prove profitable or worthwhile, yield a return, be advantageous, produce results, pay off It no longer pays to complain about the service in the shops Honesty pays. 5 pay back, repay, retaliate, settle (accounts) (with), even the score or a score, reciprocate, requite, take or get revenge on, avenge oneself for or on, treat in kind, hit or strike or get back (at), settle or pay off or even a score or the score (with), exact one's pound of flesh (from), make (someone) pay (for), punish, chastise, castigate, Brit pay out, Colloq get even (with) If I catch him, I'll pay him for turning informer 6 suffer (the consequences), answer (for), make amends (for), atone (for), get one's (just) deserts, undergo punishment (for), be punished (for) If I catch him, I'll make him pay Society requires that he pay for his crime. 7 produce or make or generate or earn money, yield a return, pay off His vending-machine business certainly pays well 8 pay back. a recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify; repay, pay off, refund, reimburse I paid back every penny I borrowed from the bank I'll pay her back if it's the last thing I do. b See 5, above. 9 pay for. See 6, above. 10 pay off. a See 4 and 7, and 8(a), above. b bribe, suborn, buy off, grease (someone's) palm, give (someone) a bribe or a rebate, Colloq give (someone) a kickback, slip (someone) something Did he really pay off the judges to select his daughter as Miss Tyneside? 11 pay out a distribute, deal out, give out, disperse, disburse The managing director paid out bonuses to the entire staff b disburse, expend, spend, contribute, Colloq shell out, lay out, US and Canadian and Australian and New Zealand kick in with, Slang cough up, fork out or over or up In the office, we are forever paying out for leaving presents c release, loosen, let out, slack or slacken off (on) Pay out more rope so that he can reach it d See 5, above We'll pay him out for everything he's done to you, never fear!
n. 12 payment, compensation, recompense, settlement, return; remuneration, consideration, reward, money, wages, salary, fee, honorarium, remittance, stipend, income, takings, take-home (pay), gain, profit, Colloq US take His sole pay for painting the kitchen was a big hug and a kiss The work is tedious, but the pay isn't bad.