pay off
B1 neutral mixed both
In simple words
to pay all the money you owe, or for hard work to give a good result
Literal meaning: to complete payment fully
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
to pay all of a debt so that nothing remains owed
"They finally paid off their mortgage after twenty-five years."
Grammar: separable
2 B1
idiomatic
neutral
to produce a good result after effort, risk, or waiting
"All those late nights studying paid off in the end."
"I think hard work pays off."
— Taylor Swift, interview remarks
Grammar: inseparable
3 C1
idiomatic
neutral
to give someone money to persuade them to help secretly or act dishonestly
"The gang paid off a guard to get information."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Highly common and polysemous. In the 'succeed' sense, it is often intransitive. The bribery sense is less common and often negative.
Commonly used with
loan mortgage debt investment hard work official
Forms
Base
pay off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pays off
he/she/it
Past simple
paid off
yesterday
Past participle
paid off
have + pp
-ing form
paying off
continuous
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Synonyms
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