pay off — to finish paying money that you owe for something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to finish paying money that you owe for something
Pronunciation (IPA): /peɪ ɔːf/
Example Sentences
- After eating ramen for three years, paying off his credit card debt felt like winning the lottery.
- She spent hours practicing piano, and it paid off when she nailed her audition.
- His strategy of bribing the teacher with homemade cookies didn't pay off - he still got an F.
pay off
VERB[/peɪ ɔːf/]
to finish paying money that you owe for something
Years of early morning practice finally pay off when she wins gold.
Pay off your debts, take off the stress, no need to show off!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The verb 'pay' derives from Latin 'pacare' (to pacify or appease), which evolved through Old French 'paier'. The phrasal verb 'pay off' emerged in Middle English, combining the sense of payment with the adverbial particle 'off' to denote complete settlement or full discharge of a debt.
Breakdown
pay (from Latin pacare, to settle or pacify) + off (adverbial particle indicating completion or separation), together forming a phrasal verb meaning to settle a debt completely or to yield a profitable result.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“After eating ramen for three years, paying off his credit card debt felt like winning the lottery.”
“She spent hours practicing piano, and it paid off when she nailed her audition.”
“His strategy of bribing the teacher with homemade cookies didn't pay off - he still got an F.”
“Learning multiple languages paid off when she landed a job at the international company.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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