Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Pay off

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Pay off" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEffort, Success, & Failure collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Effort, Success, & Failure

Pay off

Pay off
To yield a positive result or be successful after a period of effort, waiting, or risk; it can also mean to fully discharge a debt.
History & Origin

The idiom originally comes from maritime culture in the 1800s, where 'paying off' referred to the official process of giving sailors their final wages and discharging them from duty when a ship completed its voyage. Over time, the phrase expanded from literally settling a financial debt to metaphorically describing any long-term effort or investment that finally yields a successful outcome.

Examples
Workplace Email

All those late nights analyzing customer data really paid off; our conversion rates increased by twenty percent this quarter.

Casual Conversation

I knew your dedication to practicing the guitar every single day would eventually pay off.

Academic Writing

Long-term institutional investments in early childhood education programs invariably pay off in the form of reduced crime rates and higher employment numbers decades later.

News/Media

The coach's controversial decision to bench his star player paid off when the rookie scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds.

Formal Speech

If we stay committed to sustainable infrastructure development today, those heavy upfront costs will pay off for generations to come.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. She was so angry at her brother that she decided to pay off him by hiding his car keys before his job interview.

B. After five years of working two jobs and saving every extra penny, James was finally able to pay off his student loans.

C. The rain was pouring down so heavily that it paid off the entire outdoor music festival by noon.

D. If you want to pass the exam, you need to pay off your teacher during every single lecture.