pay someone back

pay someone back
pay someone back†
1. Lit. to return money that was borrowed from a person. •

You owe me money. When are you going to pay me back?

•

You must pay John back. You have owed him money for a long time.

•

You have to pay back everyone you owe money to.

2. Fig. to get even with someone [for doing something]. •

I will pay her back for what she said about me.

•

Fred eventually will pay Mike back. He bears grudges for a long time.

•

He intends to pay back everyone who has wronged him!


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • pay (someone) back in (their) own coin — British & Australian, old fashioned to treat someone in the same bad way that they have treated you. I decided to pay her back in her own coin and refuse to help her …   New idioms dictionary

  • pay someone back with interest — phrase to do something even worse to someone than they have done to you, in order to punish them Thesaurus: to treat someone in the same bad way they treat yousynonym Main entry: interest …   Useful english dictionary

  • pay someone back — pay (someone/something) back to return money that you have borrowed. I ll pay you back as soon as I get my next paycheck. I ll pay the money back on Friday. It will take years for him to pay back his student loans …   New idioms dictionary

  • pay someone back in his or her own coin — idi pay someone back in his or her own coin, to retaliate against someone by using the person s own methods …   From formal English to slang

  • pay someone back — repay a loan to someone a regular amount was deducted from my wages to pay her back ■ figurative take revenge on someone a terrorist group had decided to pay him back for short changing them ■ reward someone for something done earlier I took Aunt …   Useful english dictionary

  • pay someone back — pay a debt; get revenge on someone …   English contemporary dictionary

  • pay someone back/out — GET ONE S REVENGE ON, be revenged on, avenge oneself on, get back at, get even with, settle accounts with, pay someone out, exact retribution on. → pay …   Useful english dictionary

  • pay someone back — take revenge on someone. → pay …   English new terms dictionary

  • pay someone back — Syn: get one s revenge on, get back at, get even with, settle the score …   Synonyms and antonyms dictionary

  • pay someone back with interest — to do something even worse to someone than they have done to you, in order to punish them …   English dictionary

  • pay something back — pay (someone/something) back to return money that you have borrowed. I ll pay you back as soon as I get my next paycheck. I ll pay the money back on Friday. It will take years for him to pay back his student loans …   New idioms dictionary

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