REPAY Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'repay' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of repay are compensate , indemnify , pay , recompense , reimburse , remunerate , and satisfy . While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount. // repay a favor with a favor

Q: In what contexts can 'compensate' take the place of 'repay'?

In some situations, the words compensate and repay are roughly equivalent. However, compensate implies a making up for services rendered. // an attorney well compensated for her services

Q: When is 'indemnify' a more appropriate choice than 'repay'?

Although the words indemnify and repay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare. // indemnified the families of the dead miners

Q: When can 'pay' be used instead of 'repay'?

While in some cases nearly identical to repay , pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred. // paid their bills

Q: When would 'recompense' be a good substitute for 'repay'?

The synonyms recompense and repay are sometimes interchangeable, but recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward. // passengers were recompensed for the delay

Q: When is it sensible to use 'reimburse' instead of 'repay'?

The words reimburse and repay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit. // reimbursed employees for expenses

Q: Where would 'remunerate' be a reasonable alternative to 'repay'?

While the synonyms remunerate and repay are close in meaning, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for. // promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

Q: When might 'satisfy' be a better fit than 'repay'?

The meanings of satisfy and repay largely overlap; however, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law. // all creditors will be satisfied in full

repay

verb

(ˌ)rē-ˈpā

Definition of repay

as in to reimburse

to make a return payment to I repaid my friend the $20 he had lent me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to pay

to make a return for how can we ever repay your kindness?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word repay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of repay are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

In what contexts can compensate take the place of repay?

In some situations, the words compensate and repay are roughly equivalent. However, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When is indemnify a more appropriate choice than repay?

Although the words indemnify and repay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When can pay be used instead of repay?

While in some cases nearly identical to repay, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When would recompense be a good substitute for repay?

The synonyms recompense and repay are sometimes interchangeable, but recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When is it sensible to use reimburse instead of repay?

The words reimburse and repay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

Where would remunerate be a reasonable alternative to repay?

While the synonyms remunerate and repay are close in meaning, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When might satisfy be a better fit than repay?

The meanings of satisfy and repay largely overlap; however, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of repay The school has done so before — in 2022, Hiram repaid over $6 million of loans from its endowment. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Pell grants, which generally do not have to be repaid, are a key to affording higher education for many lower-income students. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The Sacramento City Teachers Association President Nikki Milevsky echoed Singh’s position, saying the trust’s funds do not have to be repaid. — Chaewon Chung updated August 27, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026 If your settlement only reduced the balance by 30%, leaving $17,500 to repay, your combined settlement and fee costs could reach roughly $21,250 to $23,750. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for repay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for repay

Verb

The disaster declaration for the state as a whole will reimburse public property repair costs in Beadle, Bennett, Buffalo, Day, Hand, Hughes, Hyde and Stanley Counties, along with the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations.

— John Hult, States Newsroom, 3 Sep. 2026
The judge ruled the city is authorized to address the nuisance conditions, either by boarding up buildings or demolishing them, and instructed Olive Park’s owners to reimburse the city for the work.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of reimburse

Verb

Google will pay an additional $190 million to Entergy for transmission system upgrades needed to serve the project.

— Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
With consumers paying an average of $49,855 for new cars in July 2026, according to Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book, only nine major car brands averaged sale prices under $40,000 in the United States.

— Keith Laing, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of pay

Verb

In our efforts to reciprocate with some updates about our family, the wife would interject within a sentence or two of our contribution to hijack the conversation back to talking about her family.

— R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
Assistants reciprocate with honesty and clear communication that often complements, prepares and protects their leader, and the cycle strengthens with every round.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of reciprocate

Verb

In my experience, guests at other Awasis aren't much for mingling, but there are some exceptions among Brazilians, who are more likely to exchange friendly greetings after sharing a boat experience.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
First, the Huskies mixed it up with some marching band members on the practice field outside of Huskie Stadium, jumping in on a routine and exchanging fight songs, with the players chanting, clapping and pumping their fists during their version.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of exchange

Verb

Developers must also satisfy nuclear cybersecurity rules, Department of War authorization requirements and protections for operational technology and industrial control systems.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
The kind of dessert that satisfies your craving, but doesn’t taste too sickly sweet.

— George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of satisfy

Verb

The official says authorities compensated residents for their land in 1957 after it was seized to build the capital city, Islamabad.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
The bill would compensate community solar developers and customers at a rate that advocates say more accurately accounts for the savings solar brings to the grid, especially on hot days when the system is stressed.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of compensate

Verb

But after years of wooing Silicon Valley, the Defense Department’s interest became requited, with companies like Amazon seeing opportunities to replace the government’s hodge-podge data centers with cloud computing, for which the Pentagon was offering a $10 billion contract prize in 2019.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2025
The individuals are putting money to work furiously, in individual stocks, demonstrating faith not in Trump, but in business, and it is being requited and will continue to be requited with higher stock prices.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 July 2025

Definition of requite

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“Repay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repay. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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