repay
verb
; repaying transitive verb
intransitive verb
Synonyms
- refund
- reimburse
Example Sentences
Time, 17 Sep. 2022 The country must repay debt of more than $20 billion in this fiscal year, which started July 1. Saeed Shah, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 City leaders and community members spent more than 28 hours across multiple hearings that year debating whether hotel operations would ever be able to repay the $300 million in bonds — or if taxpayers would be left holding the bag. Giacomo Bologna, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2022 Nearly 70% of the world’s poorest countries will dole out $52.8 billion this year to repay debts, with more than a quarter of that amount flowing to China. Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2022 For almost three years, student loans were finally seen as too massive for borrowers to repay, yet marginal enough for the federal government to ignore. Julian Epp, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2022 So when should people repay their loans that Biden didn't forgive? Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2022 In addition, schools where at least a third of their students receive federal loans must partially repay a student loan to the Department of Education if that loan is later discharged in bankruptcy. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 That in turn requires making assumptions about what borrowers will repay—and what the government will forgive. Preston Cooper, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Kids Definition
repay
verb
repay
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- reimburse
- refund
- compensate
- pay back
- reciprocate
- remunerate
- recompense
- satisfy
- give back
- liquidate
- pay up
- pay off
- pay down
- render (to)
- settle
- quit
Synonyms & Similar Words
- pay
- reciprocate
- exchange
- compensate
- requite
- recompense
- satisfy
- reimburse
- refund
- remunerate
- avenge
- recoup
- indemnify
- revenge
- restitute
- retaliate
- give back
- get back (at)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- owe
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of repay are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.
In some situations, the words compensate and repay are roughly equivalent. However, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.
Although the words indemnify and repay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.
While in some cases nearly identical to repay, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.
The synonyms recompense and repay are sometimes interchangeable, but recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.
The words reimburse and repay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.
While the synonyms remunerate and repay are close in meaning, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.
The meanings of satisfy and repay largely overlap; however, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.