pay down

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down

Meanings

1

Reduce a debt by making payments

Why “down”? When there is less of something, it goes down. Prices, sound, heat and speed all work this way.

They're paying down the mortgage.
They're reducing the mortgage by making payments.
She is paying down her student loan.
She is reducing her student loan by making payments.

Don't confuse with

pay downpay out

Pay down means reduce a debt by making payments. Pay out means pay a large amount of money, especially over time.

pay downpay up

Pay down means reduce a debt over time. Pay up means pay all the money owed.

Test yourself

They're paying down the mortgage. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

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