1 A2 neutral
to return money that you borrowed from someone
"I'll pay you back on Friday after I get my salary."
separable
pay back
A2 neutral separable transitive
to return money that you owe, or to hurt someone in revenge
In plain English
to give back money you borrowed, or do something bad back to someone
What does "pay back" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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."
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
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to give payment in the opposite direction, returning it
Actually means
to give back money you borrowed, or do something bad back to someone
Usage tip
Very common in financial contexts. The revenge sense is also common and often appears with 'for'.
Words that pair with "pay back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
loan money debt friend bank favor
How to conjugate "pay back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "pay back" in the wild
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Other ways to say "pay back"
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Keep exploring
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