Paid is the past tense of the verb “pay,” meaning you gave money (or something else of value) in exchange for goods, services, or to settle a debt. When you've paid for your lunch, the transaction is complete. When your parents have paid the electric bill, they've sent the money they owed to the power company.

The word also describes work that earns money. A paid job means you receive wages or salary for your time and effort, unlike volunteer work where you help without payment. A paid employee at a bookstore earns money for each hour worked, while a volunteer at the library helps out for free.

You might hear someone say they've paid their dues, meaning they've worked hard and earned their position through effort and experience. When something has paid off, it means the work or investment was worth it: studying hard for weeks paid off when you did really well on the final exam.

The word paid carries a sense of completion and fairness. Once a debt is paid, it's finished. Once work is paid for, both sides have fulfilled their agreement.