PAYBACK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does payback mean? 

• PAYBACK (noun)
  The noun PAYBACK has 2 senses:

1. financial return or reward (especially returns equal to the initial investment)

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

  Familiarity information: PAYBACK used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAYBACK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Financial return or reward (especially returns equal to the initial investment)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("payback" is a kind of...):

issue; payoff; proceeds; return; take; takings; yield (the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

payback; retribution; vengeance

Context example:

the swiftness of divine retribution

Hypernyms ("payback" is a kind of...):

retaliation; revenge (action taken in return for an injury or offense)

Derivation:

pay back (take vengeance on or get even)