Monetary & Non-Monetary Uses (Pay): English Vocabulary List

to convey one's admiration or approval for someone

"He paid me a nice compliment."

"The gentleman decided to pay a compliment to the woman by telling her how beautiful her dress looked."

to settle an obligation by returning borrowed money or fulfilling a financial commitment

"You must pay your debts on time."

"The honest man worked hard to pay his debt to the bank after borrowing money to start his business."

to provide a specified amount of money as a penalty for breaking a rule, law, or regulation

"He had to pay a fine for speeding."

"The speeding driver had to pay a fine of two hundred dollars to the court."

to concentrate or focus on a particular task or subject

"Please pay attention to me."

"You need to pay attention in class if you want to understand the lesson properly."

to carefully watch, consider, or listen to someone or something

"Please pay attention to the teacher."

"You really must pay more attention to the teacher if you want to pass."

to show respect or recognition to someone or something

"We paid tribute to the brave firefighter."

"The ceremony paid tribute to the brave firefighters who saved many lives during the disaster."

to go to a specific location, typically for social, friendly, or personal reasons

"We paid a visit to our neighbors."

"The friendly neighbours decided to pay a visit to the new family who just moved in next door."

to show honor and admiration to someone or something, typically in response to a loss, a situation, or in acknowledgment of someone's significance

"We stood in silence to pay respect to the fallen soldiers."

"The soldiers stood in silence to pay respect to their fallen comrades who died in the war."

to show honor, reverence, or farewell to a deceased person, typically by attending their funeral, memorial service, or viewing the body before burial or cremation

"They came to pay their last respects at the funeral."

"Hundreds of people came to the funeral to pay their last respects to the beloved community leader."

to give attention or serious consideration to a specific matter, advice, or warning

"You should pay heed to the warning signs."

"The driver did not pay heed to the warning signs and drove straight into the flooded road."

to show deep respect, honor, or reverence to someone or something, often in acknowledgment of their significance, influence, or achievements

"The artist paid homage to his teacher."

"The young musician paid homage to his idol by playing one of his famous songs at the concert."

to produce a profitable return or benefit as a result of an investment of time, effort, or resources

"Hard work pays dividends every time."

"Investing in education pays dividends throughout your entire career and opens many new opportunities."