Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense repays, present participle repaying, past tense, past participle repaid
1. verb
If you repay a loan or a debt, you pay back the money that you owe to the person who you borrowed or took it from.
It will take 30 years to repay the loan. [VERB noun]
He advanced funds of his own to his company, which was unable to repay him. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: pay back, refund, settle up, return More Synonyms of repay
2. verb
If you repay a favour that someone did for you, you do something for them in return.
It was very kind. I don't know how I can ever repay you. [VERB noun]
I owe them a debt that cannot easily be repaid. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of repay
repay in British English
(rɪˈpeɪ)
verbWord forms: -pays, -paying or -paid
1.
to pay back (money) to (a person); refund or reimburse
2.
to make a return for (something) by way of compensation
to repay kindness
Derived forms
repayable (reˈpayable)
adjective
repayment (reˈpayment)
noun
repay in American English
(rɪˈpeɪ)
verb transitiveWord forms: reˈpaid or reˈpaying
1.
a.
to pay back (money); refund
b.
to pay back (a person)
2.
to make some return for; compensate
repay a kindness
3.
to give or make some return or recompense to (a person), as for some service
4.
to do or give (an equivalent) in return
to repay a visit
verb intransitive
5.
to make a repayment or return
6.
to reward or punish
SIMILAR WORDS: pay
Derived forms
repayable (reˈpayable)
adjective
repayment (reˈpayment)
noun
Word origin
OFr repaier
Examples of 'repay' in a sentence
repay
It is not clear how the money will be repaid.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
With a loan you also have the certainty of knowing your debt will be repaid in full by maturity.
The Sun (2017)
An old favour is repaid generously.
The Sun (2016)
The income would flow back over 20 years and would be used to repay the loan.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A favour is repaid in a generous way.
The Sun (2016)
A family favour is repaid in an imaginative way.
The Sun (2016)
The increasingly long interest-free periods mean that it is easy to lose focus on repaying your debt and then have to pay heavy penalties.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The practice was in use in 14th-century Catalonia for bankers who failed to repay their debts within a year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I've got no hotel, no income and no way to repay the debt.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
We will be using some of the money to repay the loan for the 3G pitch, it would be irresponsible not to do that.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
She will have to repay the money.
The Sun (2012)
The opportunity to repay a family favour has a lucky outcome.
The Sun (2014)
Lie awake thinking about how to repay your personal debts?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This raises questions about whether a loan will be repaid on a timely basis.
Christianity Today (2000)
It is understood the bully is being made to repay all the money and will be disciplined.
The Sun (2007)
The company declined to pay out an interim dividend in favour of repaying debts.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He repaid the money for cleaning the moat and apologised.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Past favours are repaid in a luxurious way.
The Sun (2008)
The company may also incur a corporation tax charge if any loans are not repaid.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He has now retired and repaid the money.
The Sun (2012)
And he has an idea how he will repay the favour.
The Sun (2015)
The club would not be able to repay that loan and would be forced into administration.
The Sun (2008)
An old favour is repaid in a generous way.
The Sun (2013)
Laws has now repaid this money.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The tax is repaid to the company nine months after the end of the accounting period in which the loan is repaid.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
When the bond matures, the company must repay investors their original capital.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
No off-putting notion of a debt to repay.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The company has repaid 800 million of debt.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It's a debt we cannot repay.
The Sun (2012)
About 900m of foreign debt must be repaid next year.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If assets are seized, these firms can refuse to repay local debts and thereby reduce their losses.
Maurice D. Levi International Finance: The markets and financial management of multinational business. (1983)
The trouble is, emotional debt can't easily be repaid like money.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The Indian company has already repaid $1.1 billion of the debt.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This says, basically, that the policyholder undertakes to repay the life company the full proceeds should the lender suddenly emerge and demand payment.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
repay
British English: repay /rɪˈpeɪ/ VERB
If you repay a debt, you pay back the money you owe to somebody.
It will take 30 years to repay the loan.
American English: repay
Arabic: يَرُدُّ مالاً
Brazilian Portuguese: reembolsar
Chinese: 偿还
Croatian: vratiti
Czech: splatit dluh
Danish: betale tilbage
Dutch: terugbetalen
European Spanish: devolver el dinero
Finnish: maksaa takaisin
French: rembourser
German: zurückzahlen
Greek: ξεπληρώνω
Italian: ripagare
Japanese: 返済する
Korean: 상환하다
Norwegian: betale tilbake
Polish: spłacić
European Portuguese: reembolsar
Romanian: a rambursa
Russian: возвращать
Latin American Spanish: reembolsar el dinero
Swedish: återbetala
Thai: จ่ายเงินคืน
Turkish: geri ödemek
Ukrainian: повертати борг
Vietnamese: trả lại tiền
Chinese translation of 'repay'
repay
(riːˈpeɪ)
Word forms:ptpprepaid
vt
[loan, debt, person]偿(償)还(還) (chánghuán)
[favour]报(報)答 (bàodá)
[sb's efforts, attention]值得 (zhídé)
1 (verb)
Definition
to refund or reimburse
It will take 30 years to repay the loan.
Synonyms
pay back
refund
She will refund you the purchase price.
settle up
return
They promised to return the money.
square
restore
compensate
To ease financial difficulties, farmers could be compensated for their loss of subsidies.
reimburse
I'll be happy to reimburse you for any expenses.
recompense
If they succeed in court, they will be fully recompensed for their loss.
requite
remunerate (formal)
You will be remunerated for your trouble
2 (verb)
Definition
to make a return for (something)
How can I ever repay such kindness?
Synonyms
reward
Their generosity will be rewarded.
return
The business returned a handsome profit.
reciprocate
Her loathing for Francine is reciprocated.
recompense
make restitution
3 (verb)
Definition
to make a return for (something)
Synonyms
reciprocate
revenge
The relatives wanted to revenge his mockery of them.
hit back
They hit back by offering a strong statement denying any involvement.
retaliate
I was sorely tempted to retaliate.
avenge
He spent five years avenging his daughter's death.
get back at
return the compliment
get even with (informal)
get your own back on (informal)
make reprisal
even or settle the score with
pay (someone) back in their own coin
Additional synonyms
in the sense of avenge
Definition
to inflict a punishment in retaliation for (harm done) or on behalf of (the person harmed)
He spent five years avenging his daughter's death.
Synonyms
get revenge for,
revenge,
repay,
retaliate for,
take revenge for,
hit back for,
requite,
pay (someone) back for,
get even for (informal),
even the score for,
get your own back for,
take vengeance for,
take satisfaction for,
pay (someone) back in their own coin for
in the sense of compensate
Definition
to make amends to (someone), esp. for loss or injury
To ease financial difficulties, farmers could be compensated for their loss of subsidies.
Synonyms
recompense,
repay,
refund,
reimburse,
indemnify,
make restitution,
requite,
remunerate (formal),
satisfy,
make good
in the sense of hit back
They hit back by offering a strong statement denying any involvement.
Synonyms
retaliate,
strike back,
take revenge,
reciprocate,
even the score,
get your own back (informal),
wreak vengeance,
exact retribution,
give as good as you get (informal),
take an eye for an eye,
make reprisal,
give tit for tat,
return like for like
Synonyms of 'repay'
repay
Explore 'repay' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of recompense
Definition
to compensate or make up for loss or injury
If they succeed in court, they will be fully recompensed for their loss.
Synonyms
compensate,
reimburse,
redress,
repay,
pay for,
satisfy,
make good,
make up for,
make amends for,
indemnify,
requite,
make restitution for
in the sense of refund
Definition
to give back (money)
She will refund you the purchase price.
Synonyms
repay,
return,
restore,
make good,
pay back,
reimburse,
give back
in the sense of reimburse
Definition
to repay (someone) for (expenses or losses)
I'll be happy to reimburse you for any expenses.
Synonyms
pay back,
refund,
repay,
recompense,
return,
restore,
compensate,
indemnify,
remunerate (formal),
square up
in the sense of remunerate
Definition
to reward or pay for work or service
You will be remunerated for your trouble
Synonyms
pay,
reward,
compensate,
repay,
redress,
reimburse,
recompense,
indemnify,
requite
in the sense of requite
Definition
to return to someone (the same treatment or feeling as received)
Synonyms
return,
pay,
respond,
reward,
satisfy,
compensate,
repay,
make good,
redress,
retaliate,
get even,
reimburse,
make amends,
reciprocate,
recompense,
make restitution,
give in return,
remunerate (formal),
give tit for tat,
pay (someone) back in their own coin,
return like for like
in the sense of retaliate
Definition
to repay some injury or wrong in kind
I was sorely tempted to retaliate.
Synonyms
pay someone back,
hit back,
strike back,
reciprocate,
take revenge,
get back at someone,
get even with (informal),
even the score,
get your own back (informal),
wreak vengeance,
exact retribution,
give as good as you get (informal),
take an eye for an eye,
make reprisal,
give (someone) a taste of their own medicine,
give tit for tat,
return like for like
in the sense of return
They promised to return the money.
Synonyms
give back,
repay,
refund,
pay back,
remit,
reimburse,
recompense
in the sense of return
Definition
to earn or yield (profit or interest)
The business returned a handsome profit.
Synonyms
earn,
make,
net,
yield,
bring in,
repay
in the sense of revenge
Definition
to inflict equivalent injury or damage for (injury received)
The relatives wanted to revenge his mockery of them.