payoff

1 of 3

noun

pay·​off ˈpā-ˌȯf 

1

a

: profit, reward

b

: retribution

2

: the act or occasion of receiving money or material gain especially as compensation or as a bribe

3

: the climax of an incident or enterprise

specifically : the denouement of a narrative

4

: a decisive fact or factor resolving a situation or bringing about a definitive conclusion

payoff

2 of 3

adjective

: yielding results in the final test : decisive

pay off

3 of 3

verb

paid off; paying off; pays off

transitive verb

1

a

: to pay (a debt or a creditor) in full

b

: to give all due wages to

especially : to pay in full and discharge (an employee)

c

: bribe

2

: to inflict retribution on

3

: to allow (a thread or rope) to run off a spool or drum

intransitive verb

: to yield returns

Synonyms

Noun

• earnings
• gain
• lucre
• net
• proceeds
• profit
• return

Verb

• ante (up)
• balance
• clear
• discharge
• foot
• liquidate
• meet
• pay
• pay up
• pony up
• quit
• recompense
• settle
• spring (for)
• stand

Examples of payoff in a Sentence

Noun

You'll have to work hard but there'll be a big payoff in the end.

We expected more of a payoff for all our hard work.

We made a lot of sacrifices with little payoff.

Several city officials have been accused of receiving payoffs from the company.

He lost his factory job but received a payoff and a pension.

Verb

I finally paid off the loan.

she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Yet over time, these efforts converge, generating a momentum that propels you toward a much larger, often surprising, payoff. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Phone records, a payoff allegedly witnessed by Harwood’s girlfriend at the time, and Harwood’s own testimony provided the crucial evidence authorities needed to connect Sullivan to the murder. —Hilda Dzietror, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024

Verb

The dynamic growth has paid off and made professional pickleball a staple on broadcast television and streaming services. —Candace Oehler, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

For these famous faces, shooting their shot on social media paid off — well, most of the time — and led to love stories that have stood the test of time. —Julia Emmanuele, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1932, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

payoff

1 of 2 noun

pay·​off

ˈpā-ˌȯf

1

: profit entry 1 sense 2

2

: the last and most interesting part of an incident

the payoff of a story

pay off

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)pā-ˈȯf

1

: to pay in full

pay off a mortgage

2

: to produce a profit

investments that pay off

Legal Definition

payoff

1 of 2 noun

pay·​off ˈpā-ˌȯf 

1

: the act or an instance of paying someone off : bribe compare kickback

2

: the act of paying a debt or creditor in full

would release the lien upon the payoff of the balance

pay off

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to pay (a debt or credit) in full

the loan was paid off

2

: bribe