English Reference
adjective

paid

adj.
US /ˈpeɪd/ UK /pˈeɪd/ paid

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    describing something that you must give money for.

    requiring payment; not provided free of charge.

    Simple

    The museum has a free section and a paid exhibition.

    In context

    The application offers a basic version for free, but the advanced features are only available through a paid subscription.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    describing a person who gets money for their work.

    receiving financial compensation for work or services rendered.

    Simple

    She is a paid consultant for the local government.

    In context

    The organisation relies on a mix of dedicated volunteers and a small team of paid staff to manage daily operations.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Slang

    having a lot of money.

    possessing significant financial wealth or having recently acquired a large sum of money.

    Simple

    After his business became a success, he was finally paid.

    In context

    The young entrepreneur was suddenly paid after the tech giant acquired his startup for several million dollars.

Usage paid tribute · paid work · paid time


Etymology 1

From pay + -ed.

Etymology 2

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.

This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Very common
Updated