pay – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of pay

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to pay the freight
Participle: paid the freight
Gerund: paying the freight

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ipay the freight
youpay the freight
he;she;itpays the freight
wepay the freight
youpay the freight
theypay the freight

Perfect

Ihave paid the freight
youhave paid the freight
he;she;ithas paid the freight
wehave paid the freight
youhave paid the freight
theyhave paid the freight

Past

Ipaid the freight
youpaid the freight
he;she;itpaid the freight
wepaid the freight
youpaid the freight
theypaid the freight

Pluperfect

Ihad paid the freight
youhad paid the freight
he;she;ithad paid the freight
wehad paid the freight
youhad paid the freight
theyhad paid the freight

Future

Iwill pay the freight
youwill pay the freight
he;she;itwill pay the freight
wewill pay the freight
youwill pay the freight
theywill pay the freight

Future Perfect

Iwill have paid the freight
youwill have paid the freight
he;she;itwill have paid the freight
wewill have paid the freight
youwill have paid the freight
theywill have paid the freight

Subjunctive

Present

Ipay the freight
youpay the freight
he;she;itpay the freight
wepay the freight
youpay the freight
theypay the freight

Perfect

Ihave paid the freight
youhave paid the freight
he;she;ithave paid the freight
wehave paid the freight
youhave paid the freight
theyhave paid the freight

Imperfect

Ipaid the freight
youpaid the freight
he;she;itpaid the freight
wepaid the freight
youpaid the freight
theypaid the freight

Pluperfect

Ihad paid the freight
youhad paid the freight
he;she;ithad paid the freight
wehad paid the freight
youhad paid the freight
theyhad paid the freight

Conditional

Present

Iwould pay the freight
youwould pay the freight
he;she;itwould pay the freight
wewould pay the freight
youwould pay the freight
theywould pay the freight

Perfect

Iwould have paid the freight
youwould have paid the freight
he;she;itwould have paid the freight
wewould have paid the freight
youwould have paid the freight
theywould have paid the freight

Imperative

youpay the freight
weLet's pay the freight
youpay the freight

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam paying the freight
youare paying the freight
he;she;itis paying the freight
weare paying the freight
youare paying the freight
theyare paying the freight

Perfect

Ihave been paying the freight
youhave been paying the freight
he;she;ithas been paying the freight
wehave been paying the freight
youhave been paying the freight
theyhave been paying the freight

Past

Iwas paying the freight
youwere paying the freight
he;she;itwas paying the freight
wewere paying the freight
youwere paying the freight
theywere paying the freight

Pluperfect

Ihad been paying the freight
youhad been paying the freight
he;she;ithad been paying the freight
wehad been paying the freight
youhad been paying the freight
theyhad been paying the freight

Future

Iwill be paying the freight
youwill be paying the freight
he;she;itwill be paying the freight
wewill be paying the freight
youwill be paying the freight
theywill be paying the freight

Future Perfect

Iwill have been paying the freight
youwill have been paying the freight
he;she;itwill have been paying the freight
wewill have been paying the freight
youwill have been paying the freight
theywill have been paying the freight

Conditional

Present

Iwould be paying the freight
youwould be paying the freight
he;she;itwould be paying the freight
wewould be paying the freight
youwould be paying the freight
theywould be paying the freight

Perfect

Iwould have been paying the freight
youwould have been paying the freight
he;she;itwould have been paying the freight
wewould have been paying the freight
youwould have been paying the freight
theywould have been paying the freight

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'pay'

againsay, appay, assay, belay, enlay, forelay, foresay, forlay, forsay, gainsay, inlay, interlay, lay, mislay, mispay, missay, outlay, outstay, overlay, overpay, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'pay'

apay, bay, day, fay, gay, hay, lay, may, nay, pad,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

to give money, or other compensation, in exchange for goods or services
cough up, defray, do the needful, expend, foot the bill, fork out, fork over, lay out, pay the freight, pay up, pony up, quit, shell out, spend, stump up
compensate
refund, guerdon, indemnify, requite, recompense, disburse, reimburse, remunerate
return
repay, yield
retaliate
punish, repay, requite, revenge
suffer
resist, repel, reject, repudiate

Antonyms

to receive goods or services in exchange for money
barter, sell, steal, buy
to give money, or other compensation, in exchange for goods or services
buy, default, discharge, earn, levant, repudiate, steal, waive, welsh

Additional Information

Etymology

1. c.1200, "to appease, pacify, satisfy," from O.Fr. paiier (12c.), from L. pacare "to please, pacify, satisfy" (especially a creditor), from pax (gen. pacis) "peace." Meaning "to give what is due for goods or services" arose in M.L., was attested in Eng. by c.1225; sense of "please, pacify" died out in Eng. by 1500. Sense of "suffer, endure" (a punishment, etc.) is first recorded 1387. Payday first attested 1529. Payphone first attested 1936.
2. From Middle English payen, from Old French paiier (“pay”), from Medieval Latin pācāre (“to settle, satisfy”) from Latin pācāre (“to pacify”). In this sense, displaced native Old English ġield (“pay”) and ġieldan (“to pay”), whence Modern English yield. See: Middle English 'payen', Old French 'paiier', Latin 'pācō'.

Verbs referencing "pay"

Sranan pai, Scots Gaelic pàigh, Thai เปย์.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] each pupil; he will be charged with the actual cost of his board, which will not exceed two dollars per week; ’ a trifle more than eight shillings English; ‘and he will be credited with the amount paid for him by the state, or by his friends; also with his earnings over and above the cost of the stock which he uses; so that all his earnings over one dollar per week will be his own. By the third [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • There is always a clerk 's office on the lower deck, where you pay your fare; a ladies ’ cabin; baggage and stowage rooms; engineer 's room; and in short a great variety of perplexities which render the discovery of the gentlemen 's cabin, a matter of some [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • * * * * * One day, during my stay in New York, I paid a visit to the different public institutions on Long Island, or Rhode Island: I forget which. One of them is a Lunatic Asylum. The building is handsome; and is remarkable for a spacious and [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • “ Is it possible ! astonishing ! from such a kind family ? ” “ Kind families get in debt, and the laws of _our_ country allow them to sell the child out of its mother's bosom to pay its master's debts, ” said George, bitterly. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Papa, do buy him ! it's no matter what you pay, ” whispered Eva, softly, getting up on a package, and putting her arm around her father's neck. “ You have money enough, I know. I want him. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • All this passed in a moment, while trunks were being hustled off, hackman paid, and while a crowd, of all ages and sizes,—men, women, and children,—came running through the galleries, both above and below to see Mas’r come in. Foremost among them was a highly-dressed young [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • Owing to Mr. Adolph's systematic arrangements, when St. Clare turned round from paying the hackman, there was nobody in view but Mr. Adolph himself, conspicuous in satin vest, gold guard-chain, and white pants, and bowing with inexpressible grace and suavity. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “Yes, that’s it. How can she?” St. Clare laughed, as he went into the passage. “ Halloa, here, what's to pay out here ? Here, you all—Mammy, Jimmy, Polly, Sukey—glad to see Mas’r ? ” he said, as he went shaking hands from one to another. “ Look out for the babies ! ” he added, as he stumbled over a sooty [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Come, Prue, ” said Dinah, “ let's look at your rusks. Here's Missis will pay for them. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] say, besides, that ours is the more bold and palpable infringement of human rights; actually buying a man up, like a horse,—looking at his teeth, cracking his joints, and trying his paces and then paying down for him,—having speculators, breeders, traders, and brokers in human bodies and souls,—sets the thing before the eyes of the civilized world in a more tangible form, though the thing done be, [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • In his first televised address, he paid tribute to his mother (London Bridge is Down)
  • No more bending over. The Queen of Sheba. Say you already bought it ? Well, I paid down on it. (Sweet Dreams)
  • Most of the jobless would be busy with this work. These guys may be paid to spread rumors in the future. (Mr. Bachchan)