Standard Lemma guide

payback

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpeɪbæk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P EY1 B AE2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act of revenge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • They beat us last year, so this year's win was payback.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A benefit, reward, a form of recompense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A return on investment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A refund; reimbursement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

Misspelling of pay back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, misspelling

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life--Romans 12:19--James Garfield

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord
  • For vengeance I would do nothing. This nation is too great to look for mere revenge
  • he swore vengeance on the man who betrayed him
  • the swiftness of divine retribution

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vengeance, retribution

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: retaliation, revenge

7

noun

Meaning 7

financial return or reward (especially returns equal to the initial investment)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: return, issue, take, takings, proceeds, yield, payoff

History

Etymology

Deverbal from pay back.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: venjança — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Chinese Mandarin: 報復 /报复 (bàofù) — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Finnish: takaisinmaksu — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Finnish: kosto — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • German: Rache — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • German: Revanche — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Polish: zemsta — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Polish: zapłata — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Portuguese: forra — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Portuguese: troco — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Russian: месть (mestʹ) — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Russian: воздая́ние (vozdajánije) — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Russian: возме́здие (vozmézdije) — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Spanish: venganza — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Spanish: desquite — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Spanish: revancha — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Ukrainian: відплата (vidplata) — an act of revenge — see also revenge
  • Catalan: retorn — a form of recompense
  • Chinese Mandarin: 報酬 /报酬 (bàochóu) — a form of recompense
  • Finnish: kompensaatio — a form of recompense
  • German: Rückzahlung — a form of recompense
  • German: Rückerstattung — a form of recompense
  • Polish: rekompensata — a form of recompense
  • Portuguese: retorno — a form of recompense
  • Romanian: rambursare — a form of recompense
  • Russian: вознагражде́ние (voznagraždénije) — a form of recompense
  • Russian: награ́да (nagráda) — a form of recompense
  • Spanish: recompensa — a form of recompense
  • Ukrainian: винагорода (vynahoroda) — a form of recompense
Real reading context

payback in complete knowledge articles

2 Die 4 Literature & books · Accessible · 3 uses Jinx (Cabot novel) Literature & books · Accessible · 1 uses