/ peɪ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb ( paid , paid / peɪd; NAmE /)
1.
pay (sb) (for sth) to give sb money for work, goods, services, etc. :
[ v ]
I'll pay for the tickets.
Are you paying in cash or by credit card ?
Her parents paid for her to go to Canada.
My company pays well (= pays high salaries) .
[ vn ]
to pay cash
Would you mind paying the taxi driver?
She pays £200 a week for this apartment.
[ vnn ]
He still hasn't paid me the money he owes me.
I'm paid $100 a day.
[ vn to inf ]
I don't pay you to sit around all day doing nothing!
—see also low-paid , well paid , pre-pay
2.
pay sth (to sb) | pay (sb) sth to give sb money that you owe them :
[ vn ]
Membership fees should be paid to the secretary.
to pay a bill / debt / fine / ransom, etc.
[ vnn ]
Have you paid him the rent yet?
3.
[ v ] ( of a business, etc. ) to produce a profit :
It's hard to make farming pay.
4.
to result in some advantage or profit for sb :
[ v ]
Crime doesn't pay.
[ v to inf ]
It pays to keep up to date with your work.
[ vn to inf ]
It would probably pay you to hire an accountant.
5.
[ v ] pay (for sth) to suffer or be punished for your beliefs or actions :
You'll pay for that remark!
Many people paid with their lives (= they died) .
6.
used with some nouns to show that you are giving or doing the thing mentioned [ vn , vnn ]
I'll pay a call on (= visit) my friends.
I'll pay you a call when I'm in town.
[ vn ]
I didn't pay attention to what she was saying.
The director paid tribute to all she had done for the charity.
[ vnn ]
He's always paying me compliments .
•
IDIOMS
- the devil / hell to pay
- he who pays the piper calls the tune
- pay court to sb
- pay dividends
- pay for itself
- pay good money for sth
- pay its way
- pay the penalty (for sth / for doing sth) | pay a / the price (for sth / for doing sth)
- pay your respects (to sb)
- pay through the nose (for sth)
- pay your way
- you pays your money and you takes your choice
—more at arm noun , heed noun , rob
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- pay sb back (sth) | pay sth back (to sb)
- pay sb back (for sth)
- pay sth in | pay sth into sth
- pay off
- pay sb off
- pay sth off
- pay sth out
- pay up
■ noun
[ U ] the money that sb gets for doing regular work :
Her job is hard work, but the pay is good.
a pay increase
( BrE )
a pay rise
( NAmE )
a pay raise
a 3% pay offer
holiday pay
to make a pay claim (= to officially ask for an increase in pay)
—see also sick pay ➡ note at income
•
IDIOMS
- in the pay of sb/sth
••
SYNONYMS
pay
foot the bill ♦ pick up the bill / tab
These words all mean to give sb money for work they have done or goods they have supplied.
pay
to give sb money for work, goods, services, etc.:
I'll pay for the tickets.
•
Her parents paid for her to go to Canada.
•
She pays £200 a week for this apartment.
•
I'm paid $100 a day.
foot the bill
( rather informal ) to pay the cost of sth:
Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill.
pick up the bill / tab
( rather informal ) to pay the cost of sth:
The company will pick up the tab for your hotel room.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
to pay / foot the bill / pick up the bill / tab for sth
to have to pay / foot the bill / pick up the bill / tab
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense pacify ): from Old French paie (noun), payer (verb), from Latin pacare appease, from pax , pac- peace. The notion of payment arose from the sense of pacifying a creditor.