# payback

/ˈpeɪˌbæk/ (US) · /pˈeɪbæk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/payback
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. revenge

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

something bad that you do to someone because they did something bad to you first.

For teachers: an act of revenge or retribution for a perceived wrong or injury.

- He felt that losing his job was payback for the way he treated his staff.
- The rival firm's aggressive marketing campaign was seen by many as direct payback for the patent infringement lawsuit filed earlier that year.

### 2. return on investment

noun · CEFR B2

the profit or benefit you get from spending money or time on something.

For teachers: the recovery of an initial investment or the financial return generated by a project.

- The company expects a full payback on the new machinery within three years.
- Analysts are questioning the long-term payback of the merger, given the significant integration costs and cultural friction between the two organisations.

## Examples

- He forgot my birthday, so my payback was forgetting his.
- The team viewed their victory in the final as sweet payback for last year's embarrassing defeat.
- While the initial capital expenditure for solar panels is high, the environmental benefits and the short payback period make it a sustainable choice for most homeowners.

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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.