Word
paid
US/ˈpeɪd/
UK/pˈeɪd/
Definitions
01past tense of pay
A2 · Elementary
v. the past form of 'pay'. You use this when you gave money for a product or service in the past.
v. the past tense and past participle of 'pay', indicating the completed act of giving money in exchange for goods or services.
“I paid the waiter for our dinner and we left the restaurant.”
“The company paid the consultants a significant sum to restructure the department, though the results were not immediately apparent.”
Antonyms
02not free
A2 · Elementary
adj. describing something that you must give money for, rather than getting it for free.
adj. requiring a fee or financial transaction; not provided free of charge.
“The museum has a free section and a paid exhibition for special art.”
“The software offers a basic version for free, but the advanced features are only available through a paid subscription.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03receiving money for work
B1 · Intermediate
adj. describing a person who gets money for the work they do, or a job that gives you a salary.
adj. receiving financial compensation for services rendered; denoting a position that is salaried or waged.
“She finally got a paid internship after working for free for three months.”
“The organization relies on a mix of volunteers and paid staff to manage its daily operations.”
Synonyms
04having a lot of money
C1 · Advanced Slang · Informal
adj. having a lot of money or being rich.
adj. possessing significant financial wealth or having just received a large sum of money.
“He just got his bonus, so he is feeling really paid right now.”
“After the successful exit of his startup, he was finally paid and could afford the lifestyle he had always envisioned.”
Real-World Examples
“If you’re a quiet agent, you don’t get paid,” Medina says.” Etymology
From pay + -ed.
From Middle English paid, payd, ipaid, ypayd, past participle of Middle English paien, payen (“to pay”), equivalent to pay + -ed.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. put paid to
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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