pay 1 of 2

verb

ˈpā How to pronounce pay (audio)
Definition of paynext
1
as in to compensate
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to meet
to give what is owed for you ought to pay that bill before it's overdue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to spend
to hand over or use up in payment rock fans were willing to pay enormous sums to get into the concert

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to yield
to produce as revenue an investment paying six percent

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to hire
to provide with a paying job pay someone to mow the lawn for the summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pay

2 of 2

noun

1
as in salary
the money paid regularly to a person for labor or services it's difficult to support two children on her pay

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in payment
something (as money) that is given or received in return for goods or services we should demand pay for all the overtime we're putting in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of pay are compensate, indemnify, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, repay, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When might compensate be a better fit than pay?

The words compensate and pay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When can indemnify be used instead of pay?

Although the words indemnify and pay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When would recompense be a good substitute for pay?

The meanings of recompense and pay largely overlap; however, recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When could reimburse be used to replace pay?

The synonyms reimburse and pay are sometimes interchangeable, but reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

Where would remunerate be a reasonable alternative to pay?

In some situations, the words remunerate and pay are roughly equivalent. However, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When is it sensible to use repay instead of pay?

While in some cases nearly identical to pay, repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

When is satisfy a more appropriate choice than pay?

While the synonyms satisfy and pay are close in meaning, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pay
Verb
Any cleaning that needs to be done to meet the landlord’s standards is then paid for using the security deposit. —Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2025 But the borrower must still pay the mortgage every month. —ProPublica, 20 July 2025
Noun
Meta also poached a senior Apple engineer with a pay package reportedly valued at some $200 million. —Jasmine Cui, NBC news, 17 July 2025 The judge, who has been suspended with pay by the state Supreme Court, was excused from attending the hearing. —John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay
  1. compensate
  2. meet
  3. spend
  4. yield
  5. hire
  6. salary
  7. payment
  8. repay
Verb
  • The mesmerizing and visually appealing frames in the film are unable to compensate.
    — Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Each review is voluntary and passengers are not compensated for their opinions.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025
Definition of compensate
Verb
  • The Quilters meet at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
    — Carin Schoppmeyer, Arkansas Online, 27 July 2025
  • The superintendent and principal also meet monthly with a student advisory committee, and the student body at each school is routinely surveyed for feedback and input, according to the district.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025
Definition of meet
Verb
  • Soliman spent about four years at Cincinnati Children's, first arriving in the United States in 2014 after being persecuted in his native Egypt for work in support of freelance journalists.
    — Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 25 July 2025
  • Pyne spent 15 seasons there as a firefighter, some of them living in an old cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
    — Tom Zoellner, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of spend
Verb
  • The interpretation of New York City around the time the comics were born yields great visual charm — from Times Square to the Lower East Side — with amusing period-specific product placement for brands like 7Up and Canada Dry.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
  • This has yielded unusually high levels of moisture at all levels of the atmosphere across the US east of the Rockies, Swain said.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Definition of yield
Verb
  • Laptop farm When her clients got hired, Chapman would receive their corporate laptops in the mail.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025
  • Venables hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to keep the connection with Mateer intact.
    — Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2025
Definition of hire
Noun
  • Nearly two-thirds, or 62%, of people with salaries over $300,000 a year struggle with credit card debt, a new survey from BHG Financial found.
    — Charlotte Morabito, CNBC, 26 July 2025
  • There is no real accountability for the city’s significant investment and minimal returns, no salaries tied to performance, no end in sight for the yearly step increases and cost-of-living adjustments for every employee in the district — bloated central office staff included.
    — Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Definition of salary
Noun
  • Their goal was to handle all of shopping—from research to payment.
    — Lutz Finger, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • But there is a drastic difference in the dollar amount of payments beneficiaries may receive depending on their start date.
    — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 24 July 2025
Definition of payment
Verb
  • In addition, members could be forced to repay the cost associated with tracking them down.
    — John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 18 July 2025
  • Rhiannon Do did not make any repayment on the loan and Aloha is asking that it now be repaid.
    — Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 17 July 2025
Definition of repay

Phrases Containing pay

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paws
pay
payable
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Cite this Entry

“Pay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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