Lexic.us

Definition of Pay off

1. Verb. Yield a profit or result. "His efforts finally paid off"

2. Verb. Eliminate by paying off (debts).

3. Verb. Pay off (loans or promissory notes).

4. Verb. Do or give something to somebody in return. "They pay off to move "; "Does she pay you for the work you are doing?"

5. Verb. Pay someone with influence in order to receive a favor.

6. Verb. Take vengeance on or get even. "This time I got him"

Definition of Pay off

1. Verb. (transitive informal) To bribe, ''especially'' to deter oversight. ¹

2. Verb. (intransitive) To become worthwhile; to produce a net benefit. ¹

3. Verb. (transitive) To pay back; to repay. ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To pay back (gloss repay, pay off) the entirety of a loan, thereby effecting the release of a lien on. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Pay Off

pay and display pay as you earn pay attention pay back pay cash pay check pay cheque pay claim pay cut pay day

pay dirt pay envelope pay for pay grade pay heed pay off (current term) pay one's debt to society pay one's dues pay one's last respects pay out

pay packet pay rate pay stub pay stubs pay television pay the bills pay the debt of nature pay the fiddler pay the freight pay the penalty

Literary usage of Pay off

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. South Eastern Reporter by West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, West Publishing Company, South Carolina Supreme Court (1922)
"44 in said district and county, or any part thereof, may be sold, the proceeds shall be applied to pay off a certain mortgage note which George L. Prentiss ..."

2. Lawyers' Reports Annotated by Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company (1912)
"In a subsequent case, in which it was alleged that Mrs. В., "while negotiating said loan, told complainant that she wanted the money to pay off a former ..."

3. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the High Court of Chancery: In the by John Tracy Atkyns, Philip Yorke Hardwicke, William Newnam, Great Britain Court of Chancery (1781)
"... appearing to ha»e fettled an account ¡л 1730, in order to pay off the ... in order to pay off the mortgage ; and though no further proceedings have been ..."

4. An American Glossary by Richard Hopwood Thornton (1912)
"To discharge, to pay off. former time.—Oregon Spectator, April 30. 1858 I bent my back in lifting notes, and I don't know that it 1846 [Mr. W.] is loss able ..."

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