Idiom
pay one's dues
Meaning
To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“You must pay your dues before you get a promotion.”
“She spent years working in the mailroom to pay her dues before finally becoming a manager.”
“The young musician spent a decade playing in empty bars to pay his dues, eventually earning the respect of the entire industry.”
Examples
simple
“You must pay your dues before you get a promotion.”
contextual
“She spent years working in the mailroom to pay her dues before finally becoming a manager.”
complex
“The young musician spent a decade playing in empty bars to pay his dues, eventually earning the respect of the entire industry.”
Key words
Related idioms
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