English · Word Candidate

repay

/ɹiˈpeɪ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: repays · repaying · repaid · repayed

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Synonym of pay back in all senses.

Verb

I finally repaid my student loans, just before sending my kids to college.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To make worthwhile; to yield a result worth the effort; to pay off.

Verb

The possible importance of excessive androgen secretion and the ingestion of agents such as the fluorenamines may repay further investigation.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To pay (cover with tar, pitch, etc.) again.

Verb

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “repay” mean?

Synonym of pay back in all senses.

Is “repay” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.