paid

American  

[peyd] / peɪd /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of pay.

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paid British  

/ peɪd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of pay 1

2. to end or destroy

   breaking his leg put paid to his hopes of running in the Olympics

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paid Idioms  

1. see under pay.

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Other Word Forms

• nonpaid adjective
• self-paid adjective
• unpaid adjective
• well-paid adjective

Explanation

Something that's paid is done in exchange for money, or happens while you're receiving pay. For example, your job might offer paid vacation, when you get your usual pay but don't have to work. Paid work is anything you do for pay, whether it's babysitting your cousin for ten dollars, or a job at a law firm that provides a weekly paycheck. When people are described as paid, it clarifies the fact that they're working for money — like a paid FBI informant, or a paid companion for an elderly man. Paid comes from the verb pay, which meant "pacify or please" long before it came to mean "give what is due."

Example Sentences

Also lost was about $20 million the Clippers paid for carbon offset purchases and the $60 million Ballmer invested in the company.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The platform had a 12% jump in paid subscribers in the first quarter, thanks in large part to major events such as the Milan-Cortina Olympics and the Super Bowl, executives tell analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

But this happens after she’s destroyed the opulent life she had with her husband, one entirely paid for by her striving.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

“A withdrawal more than likely will never be paid back by increasing contributions,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

With the proceeds, he bought the Shack and the Shop, paid off his half of the construction company’s debts, then signed the company over to a grateful but stunned Uncle Bob….

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Related Words

• compensated
• salaried