payback

American  

[pey-bak] / ˈpeɪˌbæk /

noun

1. the period of time required to recoup a capital investment.

2. the return on an investment.

   This fund yields a payback of 15 percent tax-free.

3. the act or fact of paying back; repayment.

4. something done in retaliation.

   Excluding them from her wedding was a vicious payback for years of being snubbed.

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verb phrase

1. 1. to repay or return; pay off.

      Graduates from this program are successfully paying back their student loans.

   2. to retaliate against or punish.

      She paid us back by refusing the invitation.

   3. to requite.

Etymology

Origin of payback

First recorded in 1955–60; noun use of verb phrase pay back

Explanation

Payback is a way to get even with someone — it's revenge. If your brother shares an unflattering picture of you online, you might get payback with an even worse photo of him. An act of retaliation, or hurting someone who's hurt you, is one meaning of payback. A small kind of payback might be stealing one of your friend's cookies after she's snagged a few of your French fries; a huge payback is when two warring countries use increasingly deadly weapons against each other. The original meaning of payback is a "financial reward," or "profits from an investment."

Example Sentences

Putting a positive spin on things, one could suggest that February was simply a payback month for better data in January.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

And I asked the class, “Do you think that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified as payback for what the Japanese military had done in Nanjing?”

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

Now, I’m the one who must cobble together an agenda if I want even a fraction of that payback.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

"If this is payback time, this is my redemption," said Lai, who was then out on bail.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Instant payback from the universe for going through Guillermo’s papers?

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Related Words

• compensation
• reimbursement