[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/payback.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / payback

[← P](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/P/)

# payback

«payback» in Mova's school dictionary: **revenge: doing something bad to someone because they did…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (payback; a payback)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Payback is revenge: doing something bad to someone because they did something bad to you. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#m1)

2) Payback is also money paid back, or the time it takes to earn back the money you spent on something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In stories «payback» often means a character getting even, and the story usually shows that revenge is not a good answer. In money and maths, the «payback time» is how long until savings or earnings cover what you spent. Phrases: «it's payback time», «as payback for».

### examples

- The villain said, «It's payback time!» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#x1)
- He hid her shoes as payback for the prank. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#x2)
- Getting payback usually makes a fight worse, not better. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#x3)
- The solar panels have a payback time of eight years. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#x4)
- Our teacher said kindness is better than payback. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#x5)
- The payback on the lemonade stand came after we sold twenty cups. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/#x6)

### note

Mostly uncountable, informal. Written as one word. «Pay back» (two words) is the verb: «I'll pay you back on Friday». In a money problem, payback time = cost ÷ savings per year (or per week).

### In the corpora

- [Revenge usually makes a fight bigger, so tell a teacher instead of planning payback.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/89-handling-anger/13/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «payback» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/payback/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.