pay down
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down
Meanings
Reduce a debt by making payments
Why “down”? A level or amount becomes lower. This can happen to prices, sound, heat, or speed.
“They're paying down the mortgage.”
“She is paying down her student loan.”
Don't confuse with
Test yourself
“They're paying down the mortgage.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
pay out
A contrast learners often mix up
Pay a large amount of money, especially over time
pay up
A contrast learners often mix up
Pay a debt in full
bring down
Same down pattern: less
Cause something to fall or land; Make something lower in level or amount; Cause a government or leader to lose power; Make someone feel sad or depressed
come down
Same down pattern: less
Drop from a high level it has been at; Have been passed down from earlier generations; Decide in favour of one side after consideration; Become ill with a particular illness; (of rain, snow or hail) fall
cool down
Same down pattern: less
Become or make less hot; Become calmer after anger or excitement; Do gentle exercise after a hard workout
count down
Same down pattern: less
Count backwards to zero before an event
cut down
Same down pattern: less
Reduce the amount of something; Fell a tree by cutting at its base; Kill or seriously injure many people quickly
die down
Same down pattern: less
Feelings or excitement gradually become calmer; Become less strong, loud or active
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “pay down” in Sink In
Drill “pay down” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
