# pay one's dues

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pay-ones-dues
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.