to pay
- verb
- /peɪ/
- Ultimately, it's a small price to pay for the lives of others.
- pay the price
- pay dearly
- pay the fine
But that's the price that we pay for progress.
- But that's the price that we pay for progress.
- And now Ukrainians are paying in blood in their lives.
- And that's the price that they're paying for pushing back.
- Tremendously inconvenient, but that's the price you pay for weight savings.
- Very heavy price to pay in any case.
- Death is the price we pay for our life and all life.
- This is the price to pay somewhere.
Examples
-
If they fail, future generations may well pay a high price for their passivity.
Academic text (2008) -
The offending party will also be required to pay for the injured party's damages.
Academic text (1990) -
To do any of this, I must and am willing to pay a heavy price.
Academic text (2012) -
I give you my word he is going to pay for what he did to you.
Fiction book (1991) -
But that's the price that we pay for progress.
-
There is no doubt that Charles Reece has to pay for what he has done.
-
Though he remained in office, Clinton paid a heavy price for his roguish ways.
Academic text (2011) -
And that's the price that they're paying for pushing back.
-
If you break the rules, you will have to pay the price for your mistakes.
-
She knew she would pay for her decision to miss the deadline.
Synonyms
Face blame or punishment for something you did wrong
To be punished or scolded for something you did
To spend time in prison as punishment for a crime
To receive punishment or bad results for doing wrong
To suffer serious harm or loss because of an action
Accept the bad result of something you did
To serve the punishment for a crime, often by going to prison
To accept the cost or bad result of something
Face the bad results of your actions after enjoying something
To be punished for something you did wrong
Suffer a heavy cost to meet an unfair demand
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
Something I do not have the responsibility or power to decide at work
Treat someone in the same bad way they treated you
Phrasal Verbs
- Informal
Provide enough money to cover regular living costs like rent and food
- Specialized
To give regular money to an ex-wife or ex-husband to support them after a divorce
Compounds
- Archaic
A smaller amount of money given to a worker who is not working full time but is still employed
- Formal
A student loan plan that limits monthly payments to part of your income and may forgive the rest after years
How Severe
Surface Forms
Etymology
The idea of 'giving' also became a way to talk about consequences: to pay the price means to 'give' suffering or loss for something you did.