pay
Third Person
pays
Present Participle
paying
Past Tense
paid
Past Participle
paid
1
to give someone money in exchange for goods or services
- She paid the repairman to fix her broken dishwasher.
- Can you pay the babysitter when we get home?
- He paid the cleaning service to tidy up the house.
- They paid the plumber for fixing the leak in the kitchen.
- He paid the taxi driver for the ride to the airport.
2
to experience the consequences or punishment for what one has done or believes
- He knew he would pay for his reckless driving when he got a hefty speeding ticket.
- His reckless actions will make him pay dearly in court.
- Many people paid the ultimate price.
- They had to pay the consequences for his impatience.
- I'll make you pay for that disrespectful remark!
3
(dummy verb) used with certain nouns to indicate giving or doing something that is mentioned
- We should pay a visit to the new neighbors to welcome them to the neighborhood.
- During the awards ceremony, they took turns to pay compliments to the talented artists.
- At the funeral, she paid her respects to her late uncle by placing a white rose on his casket.
- Can you please put away your phone and pay attention to the road while driving?
- She tried to get his opinion, but he didn't pay her any attention.