payoff C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /ˈpeɪɔf/ UK /ˈpeɪɒf/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the return or reward from an action; a bribe or final settlement The years of training finally yielded a handsome payoff. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the return or reward from... rewardreturnprofitbribesettlementgainkickback ↔ Opposites losscost Word family Related forms paypayoutpayment Etymology AI details A compound of the verb pay and the adverb off. Pay derives from Old French paier, from Latin pacare ('to appease, satisfy'), from pax ('peace'). paier Old French pacare Latin pax Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Actions & Processes External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # payoff **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈpeɪɔf/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈpeɪɒf/ ## Meanings 1. the return or reward from an action; a bribe or final settlement ## Examples - The years of training finally yielded a handsome payoff. ## Synonyms - reward - return - profit - bribe - settlement - gain - kickback ## Antonyms - loss - cost ## Related Forms - pay - payout - payment ## Roots and Affixes - Root: paier - Root: pacare - Root: pax ## Etymology A compound of the verb pay and the adverb off. Pay derives from Old French paier, from Latin pacare ('to appease, satisfy'), from pax ('peace'). ## AI Etymology Payoff is a compound of the verb pay and the adverb off. Pay derives from Old French paier, from Latin pacare ('to appease, satisfy'), from pax ('peace'). Important recorded forms include paier (Old French), pacare (Latin), and pax (Latin). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers the return or reward from an action; a bribe or final settlement. The wider family includes related words such as pay, payout, and payment. ## Topics - Actions & Processes markdown