# pay the price

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pay-the-price
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To incur the negative consequences of (one’s own or someone else’s) actions or decisions.

## Examples

- If you break the rules, you will pay the price.
- He ignored his doctor's advice for years and is now paying the price with his health.
- The company ignored the early warning signs of the market crash and eventually paid the price through a total loss of investor confidence.

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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.