PAY BACK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pay back mean? 

• PAY BACK (verb)
  The verb PAY BACK has 2 senses:

1. act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions

2. take vengeance on or get even

  Familiarity information: PAY BACK used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAY BACK (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

pay back; repay; reward

Hypernyms (to "pay back" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take vengeance on or get even

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

fix; get; pay back; pay off

Context example:

This time I got him

Hypernyms (to "pay back" is one way to...):

get back; get even (take revenge or even out a score)

Verb group:

pay (make a compensation for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

payback (the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life)