payday

American

[pey-dey] / ˈpeɪˌdeɪ /

noun

the day on which wages are given, payment is made, etc.
Informal. a day or period during which a great deal of money, success, fame, etc., is won or obtained.

Payday came when she was given a screen test by a big Hollywood studio.

payday British

/ ˈpeɪˌdeɪ /

noun

the day on which wages or salaries are paid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of payday

First recorded in 1520–30; pay ¹ + day

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He turned to me and said, “Well, Jay Berry, I guess it’s payday.”

From Literature

Some have been spending to improve the genetics in their herds, including breeding cattle that could yield juicier steaks—and possibly land them bigger paydays.

From The Wall Street Journal

These apps offer cash advances ranging from $25 to $750, typically repaid by pulling the balance directly from a user’s bank account on payday.

From MarketWatch

Fresh off leading Duke to its first outright ACC championship in more than half a century, Mensah was bolting for the exit—and, he hoped, toward an even bigger payday from another program.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said he had refrained from agreeing to do so - which "affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023