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

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
Over the past three years, the US government has paid poultry producers more than $1.25 billon dollars to compensate them for the loss of their flocks. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025 According to Aurora’s Corporation Counsel Richard Veenstra, AT&T is arguing that, under its contract with Aurora, the city is responsible for paying for the relocation of its utilities in this area because the roadwork is related to development by the city. R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
Sutton has been employed with the department since May and was placed on relief of duty without pay pending criminal and administrative reviews of the incident, the release said. Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025 Prison workers are seeking better pay, better staffing, improved safety measures and authorization to again begin using solitary confinement as a disciplinary tool. Landon Mion, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay
Verb
  • That’s substantial, and pitch-framing skills have never played a bigger role in how catchers are evaluated — and, ultimately, compensated — by the Minnesota Twins and other teams.
    Aaron Gleeman, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Families were just large enough to compensate for the fact that nearly half of all babies born would never celebrate their fifth birthday.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The school’s small class sizes allow for highly individualized attention, ensuring that each child’s unique learning style and academic needs are met.
    Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
  • There were merely four movies from the Eighties and Nineties, which met varying degrees of success, about karate in the Valley, a wise sensei who died 2005, and a group of teenagers who were now in their fifties.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • From feeling the sunshine on your skin to swimming in crystal-clear waters, spending time at the beach can have a healing impact on your wellbeing.
    Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Listen to this article Nonprofits serving the Poway area have started spending some of the $78,500 in grants — the first awarded by the Poway Community Foundation to help people in need.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • This gives probabilistic preferences for every pair of outcomes sampled from the preference graph, yielding a preference dataset.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Last year’s mid-season, March sale, which had 276 lots, and a 75.7 percent sell-through rate, yielded $25.7 million with fees.
    The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Regional airline crews also are held to the same high training standards and minimum flight hours as mainline aviators, although because of the higher pay scales at mainline carriers, regional airlines often hire pilots that are newer to the industry.
    Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Last year, Humane hired an investment bank to sell itself, while also seeking new funding.
    Erin Griffith, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The price of each tender also rises with the salary cap each year.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2025
  • In the category of salary percentage increase, ESADE weighed in with an impressive 173% increase over the average salary of an entering student.
    Dr. Marlena Corcoran, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • But one of the issues in the debate is that House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford — a key budget negotiator — has called for making highly visible tax relief that could come in the form of direct payments.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Before pursuing an eviction, CHA works with residents who are behind on rent by setting up payment plans, referring them to financial counseling and nonprofit legal services and searching for rental assistance funds, the authority said.
    Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The $242 million in bonds floated by Johnson’s team would either be repaid with 4.37% interest in five years or 4.6% interest in 10 years.
    Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
  • When Trump claimed Europe was being repaid for 60% of its contributions to Kyiv, Macron interjected, clarifying that Europe had covered 60% of the total aid effort through loans, guarantees, and grants.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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