To pay means to give money (or something else of value) in exchange for goods, services, or to settle a debt. When you pay for a book at a store, you hand over money and receive the book. When your parents pay the electrician for fixing a light, they're compensating her for her work and expertise.

Pay can work in different directions. You might pay someone (giving them money), or you might pay for something (exchanging money for an item). A synonym for pay is compensate, which emphasizes fairness: workers deserve to be paid for their labor, just as stores deserve to be paid for their products.

The word appears in many common expressions. When something pays off, your effort or investment brings good results, like when studying hard pays off with a strong test score. To pay attention means to focus your mind carefully on something. When you pay your respects to someone, you're showing honor or sympathy, often at a funeral or memorial. To pay the price means to suffer consequences, usually for a mistake or poor choice.

Pay also works as a noun: your pay is the money you receive for work. Fair pay matters because it reflects the value of someone's time, skill, and effort.