The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - pay v.

1) recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify; repay, refund, reimburse; pay off, pay out, pay up, satisfy, clear, remit, discharge, liquidate, settle, honour, meet: Do you think that nurses are poorly paid? You have 30 days to pay this invoice. 2) reward, benefit, recompense, requite, compensate: Thurlew has been amply paid by having his name engraved on the roll of honour. 3) extend, bestow, transmit, pass on, give, deliver: Please pay my respects to your wife. 4) benefit, profit, avail, (turn out to) be or prove profitable or worthwhile, yield a return, be advantageous, produce results, pay off: It no longer pays to complain about the service in the shops. Honesty pays. 5) pay back, repay, retaliate, settle (accounts) (with) , even the score or a score, reciprocate, requite, take or get revenge on, avenge oneself for or on, treat in kind, hit or strike or get back (at) , settle or pay off or even a score or the score (with) , exact one's pound of flesh (from) , make (someone) pay (for) , punish, chastise, castigate, Brit pay out, Colloq get even (with) : If I catch him, I'll pay him for turning informer. 6) suffer (the consequences) , answer (for) , make amends (for) , atone (for) , get one's (just) deserts, undergo punishment (for) , be punished (for) : If I catch him, I'll make him pay. Society requires that he pay for his crime. 7) produce or make or generate or earn money, yield a return, pay off: His vending-machine business certainly pays well. 8) pay back. a recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify; repay, pay off, refund, reimburse: I paid back every penny I borrowed from the bank. I'll pay her back if it's the last thing I do. b See 5, above. 9) pay for. See 6, above. 1) 0 pay off. a See 4 and 7, and 8(a) , above. b bribe, suborn, buy off, grease (someone's) palm, give (someone) a bribe or a rebate, Colloq give (someone) a kickback, slip (someone) something: Did he really pay off the judges to select his daughter as Miss Tyneside? 11 pay out. a distribute, deal out, give out, disperse, disburse: The managing director paid out bonuses to the entire staff. b disburse, expend, spend, contribute, Colloq shell out, lay out, US and Canadian and Australian and New Zealand kick in with, Slang cough up, fork out or over or up: In the office, we are forever paying out for leaving presents. c release, loosen, let out, slack or slacken off (on) : Pay out more rope so that he can reach it. d See 5, above: We'll pay him out for everything he's done to you, never fear! --n. 1) 2 payment, compensation, recompense, settlement, return; remuneration, consideration, reward, money, wages, salary, fee, honorarium, remittance, stipend, income, takings, take-home (pay) , gain, profit, Colloq US take: His sole pay for painting the kitchen was a big hug and a kiss. The work is tedious, but the pay isn't bad.