payback

[ pey-bak ]

/ ˈpeɪˌbæk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR payback ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the period of time required to recoup a capital investment.

the return on an investment: a payback of 15 percent tax-free.

the act or fact of paying back; repayment.

something done in retaliation: a really vicious payback for years of being snubbed.

Origin of payback

First recorded in 1955–60; noun use of verb phrase pay back

Words nearby payback

pay-and-display, pay-as-you-go, pay-as-you-throw, pay attention, pay a visit, payback, pay bed, paybox, pay cable, paycheck, pay court to

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for payback

The payback scene at the end of the new season was really hard to watch.
Inside 'Sons of Anarchy's' Final Season: Creator Kurt Sutter on the Most Brutal Season Yet|Annaliza Savage|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The payback was swift and the re-alignment was total: a Solid South, but this time, Republican.
The South Has Indeed Risen Again and It’s Called the Tea Party|Jack Schwartz|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If a Republican wins the presidency in 2016, the payback from Democrats will be vicious.
Obama Really Seems to Be Looking Forward to the End of His Presidency|Dean Obeidallah|December 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Drive 20,000 miles per year at $4.00 a gallon, and the payback period is shorter—2.5 years.
Uncle Sam Embraces Hybrids|Daniel Gross|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Payback against those accused of practicing sorcery is a deep-set custom in some parts of the ethnically diverse nation.
Where They Still Burn ‘Witches’|Jo Chandler|February 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for payback

pay back

verb (tr, adverb)

to retaliate againstto pay someone back for an insult

to give or do (something equivalent) in return for a favour, insult, etc

to repay (a loan)

noun payback

the return on an investment
Also called: payback period the time taken for a project to cover its outlay

something done in order to gain revenge
(as modifier)payback killings

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with payback