Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To pay back money that has been borrowed: To return money to someone from whom it was borrowed.
   • To make a return or compensation for something: To give, do, or get something of equal value in return for a service, favor, kindness, or injury.
   • To make a return payment to (a person): To give money or something else of value to someone in return for a benefit received from them.

Usage and Examples

• To return borrowed money:

  • I will repay the loan in monthly installments.
  • He promised to repay the $100 by next Friday.

• To reciprocate an action or feeling (often a positive one):

  • How can I ever repay you for your help?
  • She repaid their hospitality by inviting them to dinner.

• To retaliate or require (often for a negative action):

  • He vowed to repay the insult.
  • The team was eager to repay their rivals for last season's defeat.

Advanced Usage

• "to repay a debt": To return money that is owed.

  • It took them ten years to repay their mortgage debt.

• "to repay a favor": To do something helpful for someone who has helped you.

  • I'm just trying to repay the favor you did for me last year.

• "to repay someone's trust/faith": To act in a way that justifies someone's belief in you.

  • He worked hard to repay his manager's faith in him.

Variants and Related Words

• Repayment (noun): The action of paying back a loan or the sum of money paid back.

  • The loan repayment is due on the first of each month.

• Repayable (adjective): (Of a loan) required to be paid back.

  • The grant is not repayable.

Synonyms

• Refund: To give back money, typically because of an unsatisfactory purchase.
• Reimburse: To repay (money) to someone who has spent or lost it.
• Compensate: To give (someone) something, typically money, in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury.
• Reciprocate: To respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one.
• Retaliate: To make an attack or assault in return for a similar attack.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Repay back: (Often redundant; "repay" usually suffices) To pay back.
  • You must repay back the full amount.

Related Idioms

• To repay in kind: To respond to an action with a similar action.

  • After his betrayal, she repaid him in kind by exposing his secrets.

• To repay with interest: To respond more forcefully or generously than one received.

  • His kindness was repaid with interest when the whole community came to his aid.

Verb

1. answer back
2. act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions
3. make repayment for or return something
4. pay back
   • Please refund me my money