Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To bear the cost of something; to provide money in exchange for goods or services: The core meaning is to give money to cover the price of an item, service, or expense.
   • To suffer negative consequences as a result of an action: To be punished or experience a disadvantage because of something one has done.

Usage and Examples

• Literal meaning (bearing cost):

  • My parents offered to pay for my college tuition. (They provided the money required for the tuition.)
  • Who is going to pay for dinner tonight? (Who will give money to cover the cost of the meal?)
  • The company will pay for your business trip expenses. (The company will cover the costs of your trip.)

• Figurative meaning (suffering consequences):

  • He will pay for his mistakes. (He will suffer the negative results of his errors.)
  • If you break the rules, you will pay for it. (You will be punished for breaking the rules.)
  • She paid dearly for her lack of preparation. (She suffered significant negative consequences because she was not prepared.)

Advanced Usage

• "to pay for itself": (of an investment) to save or earn enough money to cover its own initial cost.
  • The new energy-efficient system will pay for itself within two years. (The money saved on energy bills will equal the system's cost in two years.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pay (verb): To give money for goods, services, or to settle a debt.
  • Please pay the bill.
• Payment (noun): The act of paying or the money paid.
  • We received your payment.
• Payee (noun): A person to whom money is paid or is to be paid.
• Payer (noun): A person who pays or is responsible for a payment.

Synonyms

• Cover the cost of: To provide money for an expense.
• Foot the bill for: (Idiomatic) To pay for something.
• Atone for: (In the consequence sense) To make amends or suffer for a wrong.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Pay back:
  • To return money that was borrowed.

    • I will pay you back next week.
  • To retaliate against someone.

    • He vowed to pay them back for the insult.
• Pay off:
  • To pay a debt in full.

    • They finally paid off their mortgage.
  • To yield a positive result.

    • All her hard work paid off when she got the promotion.

Related Idioms

• You get what you pay for: Used to say that something cheap is often of low quality.
  • The cheap tools broke immediately; I guess you get what you pay for.
• Pay through the nose: To pay an excessively high price for something.
  • We had to pay through the nose for last-minute tickets.

Verb

1. have as a guest
   • I invited them to a restaurant