pay 1 of 2

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

pay

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples 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
Bach said homeowners in California might pay anywhere from $1,000 to upward of $40,000 a year to insure their properties. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025 Each of these pairs offers a unique take; pay special attention to the Alohas option that’s all over Instagram and the Dries Van Noten kicks every fashion editor at Glamour is coveting. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
That strike was suspended following a tentative agreement promising a 62 percent pay raise over six years. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025 Nearly 900 Americans are killed and nearly 76,000 are injured in vehicle crashes during snowfall or sleet every year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. DoorDash does not give employees extra pay for working in inclement weather. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pay 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay
Verb
  • The water rushing along the road flutters The dress on the corpse of a woman, As the city descends long days and nights Into legend, which won’t compensate for its disasters.
    Czeslaw Milosz, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
  • But the law says that any workers who receive less than the $16.35 minimum wage must be compensated by the restaurants.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The plan’s announcement comes after Trump and DeSantis met over a round of golf at the president-elect’s golf course in West Palm Beach on Tuesday.
    Julia Manchester, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The county Board of Supervisors, which met Tuesday for the first time since fires decimated large swaths of the county, gave the chief executive office a week to sketch out the details.
    Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Petty, and his crew at Petty’s Garage, spent the winter of 2013 taking his old Superbird back to bare metal and giving it a new coat of Alpine White paint and a new black roof made of vinyl.
    Howard Walker, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2025
  • In his letter, Sarandos evoked the nearly 30 years he’s spent in the city.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Overall, her mission yielded critical insights into how living organisms respond to the conditions of space, according to research from Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
  • In time, more mines yielded up gold, mines with names such as Bully Boy, King Solomon, Napoleon and Monkey Wrench.
    Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Key to this initial foothold in the industry was grabbing the attention of Uptown CEO Andre Harrell, who hired him as an intern and ushered him into the label’s A&R department.
    Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Jones hired Kutler away from CNN in 2022, and Jones will stay at MSNBC in an advisory role until March.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
  • What is coming is a salary cap, revenue sharing, some structure, but until then boosters with means who want to spend it on their favorite team still can blow their money like a sailor on leave.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Stringer was the only candidate who received the Campaign Finance Board’s first public matching funds payment on Dec. 16, netting him $2 million for a total cash balance of $2.3 million.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025
  • People who receive the refunds should cash their check within 90 days or redeem their PayPal payment within 30 days, according to the agency.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Medical Debt and Credit Medical debt is a poor predictor of an individual's ability to repay a loan, the CFPB said.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Pell Grants do not have to be repaid and are given to students who come from families with among the lowest incomes or ability to pay for college.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near pay

Cite this Entry

“Pay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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