repay
B1Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
To pay back money that is owed.
To return a favour or to make a suitable return for an action, good or bad.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies a moral or financial obligation to return something. It can be used literally (money) or metaphorically (kindness, effort).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both varieties use it similarly.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly formal. The metaphorical use ('repay kindness with loyalty') is equally common in both.
Frequency
Slightly more common in formal or financial contexts. The infinitive 'to repay' is more common than the past simple 'repaid' in corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
repay somebodyrepay somethingrepay somebody somethingrepay something to somebodyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “repay in kind”
- “repay with interest”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Formal term for settling a financial obligation, e.g., 'The company will repay the bondholders next quarter.'
Academic
Used in economics or sociology to discuss reciprocity, e.g., 'Social capital is often repaid through community service.'
Everyday
Common in personal contexts, e.g., 'I'll repay you for the train ticket on Friday.'
Technical
In finance, specific to loan amortisation schedules and debt servicing.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I must repay my mate for the cinema tickets.
- He hoped to repay the loan within five years.
- How can I ever repay your kindness?
American English
- She plans to repay her student loans aggressively.
- The city repaid the investors with municipal bonds.
- His hard work repaid the coach's faith in him.
adjective
British English
- The repayable grant must be returned if conditions aren't met.
- A repayable deposit is required.
American English
- The funds were given as a repayable advance.
- It's a repayable investment, not a gift.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I will repay you tomorrow.
- He repaid the £10.
- You need to repay the bank loan in monthly instalments.
- She repaid his help by cooking him dinner.
- The government is struggling to repay its foreign debt.
- His dedication was repaid with a promotion.
- The scheme offers a repayable investment, contingent on the project's success.
- Her betrayal was repaid in kind, with a cold and calculated silence.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: RE + PAY. You PAY again, but this time it's BACK (RE-) to the person you owe.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOODNESS/BADNESS IS A DEBT (He repaid her cruelty with silence).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'pay back' exclusively for money; 'repay' covers favours and actions. Do not confuse with 'repeat' (повторять). The direct Russian translation 'возвращать долг' is only for the literal financial sense.
Common Mistakes
- He repaid back the loan. (redundant - 'repay' already means 'pay back')
- I will repay you the money next week. (Correct, but 'pay back' is more common in informal speech).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a correct use of 'repay'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its primary use is financial, it is commonly used metaphorically for returning a favour, kindness, or even an injury.
'Reimburse' is more formal and specifically means to pay back money someone has spent, often on behalf of another (e.g., business expenses). 'Repay' is broader, covering any kind of payback.
The most common noun is 'repayment'. 'Repay' itself is only a verb.
Yes. The past simple and past participle of 'repay' is always 'repaid' (pronounced /rɪˈpeɪd/).