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payday

American  
[pey-dey] / ˈpeɪˌdeɪ /

noun

  1. the day on which wages are given, payment is made, etc.

  2. Informal. a day or period during which a great deal of money, success, fame, etc., is won or obtained.

    Payday came when she was given a screen test by a big Hollywood studio.
payday British  
/ ˈpeɪˌdeɪ /

noun

  1. the day on which wages or salaries are paid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of payday

First recorded in 1520–30; pay 1 + day

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The idea was you incentivize people to stick around with the prospect of a big payday upon an exit or an IPO.

From The Wall Street Journal

Friday had been widely viewed as a key day because it’s a payday for TSA agents, and it would mark the second time that they’re missing a full paycheck.

From MarketWatch

Friday is a payday for TSA agents, who could miss a full paycheck for the second time.

From MarketWatch

In addition, this Friday is important for TSA agents, because it’s a payday and they could miss a full paycheck for the second time.

From MarketWatch

TSA workers got a partial paycheck on their Feb. 27 payday, then they missed their first full paycheck on March 13.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.