Meaning trap
pay back
get revenge
to do something to someone because they did something bad to you first.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to do something to someone because they did something bad to you first.
Another meaning of 'pay back' is 'return money'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- She played a prank on me, so I paid her back by hiding her phone.relationships
- Sometimes, people feel the need to pay someone back if they’ve been treated unfairly, but I think it’s better to just move on.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: pay (someone) back (for something)
WrongI'll pay back him for that.
RightI'll pay him back for that.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'pay him back'.
Patternpay (someone) back (for something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Pay back' is the casual way to talk about revenge; 'exact retribution' is melodramatic.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
pay + someone + backhim backyou backback forin kind
Don't confuse it
Not about money—this is about getting even with someone.
Related
- pay back (return money) — Another meaning of 'pay back' is 'return money'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.