Paycheck Meaning, Examples, and Usage Guide

Meaning 1：salary payment (paycheck)

paycheck 🔊

/ˈpeɪˌtʃek/

The money your employer pays you regularly for your work, often every two weeks or every month.

Paycheck notification on phone showing direct deposit received

salary payment 🔊

➕

/ˈsæləri ˈpeɪmənt/

The regular payment an employee receives from their employer for work performed, often issued by check or direct deposit.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'pay' (payment) + 'check' (a written order for payment).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'pay' + 'check' – you work, get paid, and check your bank account.

📖 Example

I just got my paycheck and I'm planning to take my mom out for a nice dinner this weekend. 🔊 I just got my paycheck and I'm planning to take my mom out for a nice dinner this weekend.

🔗 Collocations

cash a paycheck – to exchange a paycheck for cash

live paycheck to paycheck – to spend all of one's income on living expenses with no savings

monthly paycheck – the salary received once a month

🔄 Synonyms

salary (n.) – A fixed regular payment for work, typically paid on a monthly or annual basis.

wages (n.) – Payment for work calculated by the hour or by the amount of work done.

earnings (n.) – Money obtained in return for labor or investments.

🚫 Antonyms

debt (n.) – Money that is owed to someone else.

expense (n.) – The cost required for something, an outgoing payment.

unemployment (n.) – The state of being without a paid job.

🌱 Derivatives

paycheck-to-paycheck (adj.) – Living with barely enough money to cover expenses until the next paycheck.

paycheck protection (n.) – A program or policy that safeguards workers' salaries during economic downturns.

📖 Cultural Story

Originated in 19th-century US when employers paid workers with physical checks; now widely used to refer to any regular salary.