pay something off Definition

pay¹
verb pays, paid, paying

tr & intr
1. To give (money) to someone in exchange for goods, services, etc.

Example: I paid him £10 for the books
tr & intr
2. To settle (a bill, debt, etc).
tr & intr
3. To give (wages or salary) to an employee.
tr & intr
4. To make a profit, or make something as profit.

Example: businesses that don't pay
Example: an investment that pays £500 per annum
tr & intr
5. To benefit; to be worthwhile.

Example: It pays one to be polite
Example: Dishonesty doesn't pay
tr & intr
6. To suffer a penalty on account of it; to be punished for it.

Example: pay dearly for one's crimes
Example: paid with his life
Form: pay for something (also)
7a. To do someone the honour of (a visit or call);

Example: paid her a visit in hospital
7b. To offer someone (a compliment, one's respects, etc).

Example: paid him a compliment on his new haircut
8. To give (heed or attention).

noun

1. Money given or received for work, etc; wages; salary.

Thesaurus: income, salary, earnings, wages, stipend, allowance, fee, recompense, remuneration.

Idiom: in the pay of someone

Employed by them, especially for a secret or dishonest purpose.

Idiom: pay one's addresses to someone

formal or old-fashioned
Said of a man: to court (a woman).

Idiom: pay one's way

To pay all of one's own debts and living expenses.

Idiom: pay its way

To compensate adequately for initial outlay.

Idiom: put paid to something or someone

colloq
To put an end to them; to deal effectively or finally with them.

Idiom: pay the piper

To bear the expense of something and therefore have control of it, ie call the tune (see under call).

Idiom: pay through the nose

To pay a very high price.
Example: paid through the nose for the coach tour

Etymology: 13c: from French paie, from Latin pacare to pacify, settle (a debt).

Phrasal Verb: pay someone back

To revenge oneself on them.

Phrasal Verb: pay something back

To return (money owed).

Phrasal Verb: pay something down

To pay (eg a first instalment) in cash immediately.

Phrasal Verb: pay something in

To put (money, etc) into a bank account.

Phrasal Verb: pay off

To have profitable results.

Phrasal Verb: pay someone off

To make them redundant with a final payment.

Phrasal Verb: pay something off

To finish paying (a debt, etc). See also pay-off.

Phrasal Verb: pay something out

To spend or give (money), eg to pay bills, debts, etc.To release or slacken (a rope, etc) especially by passing it little by little through one's hands.

Phrasal Verb: pay up

To pay the full amount that is due, especially reluctantly. See also paid-up.