Phrasal verb
pay back
Definition
phrasal verb. to give money back to someone after you borrowed it. You can also use it to mean doing something bad to someone because they hurt you first.
phrasal verb. to return borrowed funds to a creditor; also used figuratively to mean retaliating against someone for a perceived injury. This transitive verb is separable, allowing the object to be placed between the base verb and the particle.
Examples
“I will pay you back for the coffee tomorrow.”
“He borrowed a large sum from his parents to start his business and promised to pay them back within three years.”
“The protagonist spent years planning how to pay back the rivals who had orchestrated his professional downfall and social exile.”
Examples
simple
“I will pay you back for the coffee tomorrow.”
contextual
“He borrowed a large sum from his parents to start his business and promised to pay them back within three years.”
complex
“The protagonist spent years planning how to pay back the rivals who had orchestrated his professional downfall and social exile.”
Usage
If the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'him', it must be placed between 'pay' and 'back'.
Teaching tip
Contrast the financial meaning with the 'revenge' meaning, noting that 'repay' is a more formal synonym for the financial sense.
Pitfall
I need to pay back to him.
I need to pay him back.
the verb takes a direct object for the person being paid, so the preposition 'to' is incorrect.
Phrasal verb
Particles
back
Separability
optional
Pattern
pay + back + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- 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
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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