pay back
A2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
to give back money you borrowed, or do something bad back to someone
Literal meaning: to give payment in the opposite direction, returning it
Meanings
1 A2 neutral
to return money that you borrowed from someone
"I'll pay you back on Friday after I get my salary."
Grammar: separable
2 B1
idiomatic
neutral
to reward someone by doing something kind in return
"You helped me when I was sick, and I hope I can pay you back someday."
Grammar: separable
3 B1
idiomatic
neutral
to harm or punish someone in revenge for something they did
"He said he would pay them back for the trick they played on him."
"I'll be back."
— Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Very common in financial contexts. The revenge sense is also common and often appears with 'for'.
Commonly used with
loan money debt friend bank favor
Forms
Base
pay back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pays back
he/she/it
Past simple
paid back
yesterday
Past participle
paid back
have + pp
-ing form
paying back
continuous
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Synonyms
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