Definition of "pay-off" in English

noun

1. A payment in full; the state of having been paid in full.

   • At the current monthly payment level, it'll take 32 more months to reach pay-off.

2. A reward.

   • What's the pay-off for putting up with her nonsense for ages on end?

3. A return on investment.

   • How soon could we realistically expect any pay-off from loading up on shares of that company?

4. (informal) A bribe.

   • The prison break never could have succeeded if it hadn't been for multiple pay-offs to various corrupt officers.

5. (colloquial, especially fiction) A resolution or justification of an event that has already occurred.

   • Where's the pay-off for that whole segment of the plot?

6. (baseball) Ellipsis of payoff pitch.

   • The bases are loaded, so he'd better make the pay-off count.