pay
Definitions
To give money in exchange for goods, services, or to settle a debt.
支付、付钱（换取商品、服务或还债）。
To be worthwhile or profitable; to bring a return.
划算、值得、有回报。
To give or offer (attention, a visit, a compliment).
给予、致以（注意、拜访、赞美）。
Money received for work; wages or salary.
报酬、工资、薪水。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin pācāre 'to pacify' (built on pāx 'peace'), via Old French paier. Paying a creditor originally meant making peace with them — settling the tension of an unpaid debt. The 'money' meaning is the faded survivor of that older 'appease' sense.
Root pay still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
The hidden story: pay descends from Latin pācāre, 'to pacify,' from pāx ('peace'). To pay a debt was to make peace with your creditor. That logic still surfaces in idioms — 'pay attention' (give attention as if handing over currency), 'it pays to be honest' (honesty brings a settling return), 'pay the price' (settle the account for an action).
Usage Guide
pay someone (a person), pay for something (the thing bought), pay something (a bill, rent, a fine): I paid the waiter, I paid for the meal, I paid the bill. Mixing these up is a common error — you pay FOR goods, but you pay a person or a bill directly.
Example Sentences
- 1.
I'll pay for dinner tonight, so put your wallet away.
- 2.
How much do you have to pay in rent each month?
- 3.
Hard work usually pays in the long run.
- 4.
Please pay attention to the safety instructions.
Easily Confused
pay vs spend — pay focuses on the recipient or the bill (pay the landlord, pay the fee). spend focuses on the money leaving you and what it goes toward (spend $50 on books, spend money wisely). You pay a person; you spend an amount.
Synonym Comparison
- pay — settle a debt or hand money to a recipient; the core word
- spend — use up money on something
- compensate — pay to make up for a loss or service (formal)
- reimburse — pay someone back for money they already spent
- settle — pay off a bill or debt in full, ending it