English Reference

Word

repaid

Phoneticsre·paid

US/ɹiˈpeɪd/

UK/ɹɪpˈeɪd/

Definition

v. to pay back money that you borrowed from someone. It can also mean to do something nice for someone because they helped you in the past.

v. the past tense and past participle of 'repay'; refers to the act of returning borrowed funds or compensating someone for a previous service or kindness.

Examples

“He finally repaid the loan after two years.”

“She felt she had finally repaid her mentor's kindness by helping the next generation of students.”

“Although the financial debt was legally settled, he felt the emotional support he received during the crisis could never be fully repaid through mere monetary means.”

Examples

simple

“He finally repaid the loan after two years.”

contextual

“She felt she had finally repaid her mentor's kindness by helping the next generation of students.”

complex

“Although the financial debt was legally settled, he felt the emotional support he received during the crisis could never be fully repaid through mere monetary means.”

Usage

Transitive verb — requires a direct object, usually the debt or the person being compensated.

Pitfall

He repayed the money yesterday.

He repaid the money yesterday.

The past tense of 'repay' is irregular; it uses 'paid' rather than the standard '-ed' suffix.

Real-World Examples

“It is unclear whether any carers have been repaid.”
The Guardian · 13 Sept 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/repaid

English Reference