payoff

[ pey-awf, -of ]

noun

1. the payment of a salary, debt, wager, etc.
2. the time at which such payment is made.
3. the consequence, outcome, or final sequence in a series of events, actions, or circumstances:

   The payoff was when they fired him.

   Synonyms: finale, upshot, climax

4. Informal. the climax of something, especially a story or joke.
5. a settlement or reckoning, as in retribution or reward.
6. Informal. a bribe.

adjective

1. yielding results, especially rewarding or decisive results:

   The payoff play was the long pass into the end zone.

verb phrase

1. 1. to pay (someone) everything that is due that person, especially to do so and discharge from one's employ.
   2. to pay (a debt) in full.
   3. Informal. to bribe.
   4. to retaliate upon or punish; pay back.
   5. to result in success or failure:

      The risk paid off handsomely.

   6. Nautical. to fall off to leeward.

Word History and Origins

Origin of payoff¹

First recorded in 1910–15; noun, adjective use of verb phrase pay off

Example Sentences

Although the payoff may not be what people expect, it has its reward.

From Salon

That payoff is the result of many smart choices on Álvarez’s part, including his insistence on using practical effects for its classic HR Giger creatures instead of rendering them digitally.

From Salon

Well, in “Vanya,” the audience got a hell of a lot of Scott, and for many of them, the feeling of concentrated, one-to-one time with a celebrated actor was probably payoff enough.

From New York Times

The central conceit is ingenious, but the filmmakers don’t just rely on its cleverness; there are genuine, human stakes, and the payoff is refreshingly poignant.

From New York Times

That’s the setup, if nowhere near the payoff, of the “The Apiary,” a bright, strange and mesmerizing marvel by Kate Douglas, making her professional playwriting debut with this Off Off Broadway production.

From New York Times

Related Words

• consequence
• outcome
• payment
• reward
• settlement