Pay Off (Verb)
Meaning 1
Yield a profit or result; "His efforts finally paid off".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Eliminate by paying off (debts).
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
Do or give something to somebody in return; "Does she pay you for the work you are doing?".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Take vengeance on or get even; "We'll get them!"; "That'll fix him good!"; "This time I got him".
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- Her decision to sabotage the project was her way to pay off the coworker who had wronged her.
- The rival gang vowed to pay off the other group for their past transgression.
- After being bullied, he found a way to pay off his tormentor on the last day of school.
- I'm going to pay off my little brother for pulling that prank on me last week.
- The politician's downfall was seen as a way for the public to pay off the years of corruption and abuse of power.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
Pay off (loans or promissory notes).
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 6
Pay someone with influence in order to receive a favor.
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.