## Meanings
1. To give money in exchange for goods, services, or work.
2. To give back money that is owed; to settle a debt or bill.
3. To suffer a punishment or bad result because of something you have done.
4. To be worth the effort; to bring a useful result.

## Examples
- I paid ten dollars for the book.
- She offered to pay the bill at the restaurant.
- They yelled, "You'll pay for this!" as I walked out.
- It pays to read the instructions before you start.

## Synonyms
- defray
- expend
- quit
- spend

## Antonyms
- buy
- default
- discharge
- earn
- levant
- repudiate
- steal
- waive
- welsh

## Derived Forms
- autopay
- copay
- dead-pay
- for-pay
- forepay
- high-paying
- low-paying
- midpay
- mispay
- outpay
- overpay
- pay-and-display

## Related Forms
- plunk

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: payen
- Root: paiier
- Root: pācāre
- Root: pācō

## Etymology
From Middle English payen, from Old French paiier (“pay”), from Medieval Latin pācāre (“to settle, satisfy”) from Latin pācāre (“to pacify”). In this sense, displaced native Old English ġield (“pay”) and ġieldan (“to pay”), whence Modern English yield.

## AI Etymology
Pay comes from Middle English payen, from Old French paiier (“pay”), from Medieval Latin pācāre (“to settle, satisfy”) from Latin pācāre (“to pacify”). In this sense, displaced native Old English ġield (“pay”) and ġieldan (“to pay”), whence Modern English yield. Modern senses include to give money in exchange for goods, services, or work and to give back money that is owed; to settle a debt or bill. The wider word family includes derivatives such as autopay, copay, dead-pay, for-pay, forepay, and high-paying and related forms such as plunk.

## Topics
- Money & Finance

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