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Understanding the Idiom: "pay a visit" - Meaning, Origins, and Usage

The meaning of “pay a visit”.

“Pay a visit” means to go and see someone for a short period of time. It could be to check on their well-being or simply to catch up with them. The phrase is often used when referring to visiting friends or family members, but it can also be used in professional settings such as visiting clients or colleagues.

Usage Examples

Here are some examples of how “pay a visit” can be used:

• I’m planning to pay a visit to my grandparents next weekend.
• The doctor advised me to pay a visit if my symptoms persist.
• We should pay a visit to our new neighbors and welcome them.

Origins and Historical Context of the Idiom “pay a visit”

The phrase “pay a visit” is an idiom that has been used for centuries to describe the act of visiting someone. This expression has its roots in Old English, where it was commonly used to refer to the act of paying tribute or homage to someone.

Over time, the meaning of this phrase evolved, and it began to be used more broadly to describe any type of social call or visit. Today, we use this idiom in many different contexts, from visiting friends and family members to making professional visits for business purposes.

Throughout history, paying visits has been an important part of human interaction. In ancient times, people would often travel long distances just to pay their respects or seek advice from respected leaders or scholars. As societies became more complex and interconnected over time, the practice of paying visits became even more common.

Today, we continue to value the importance of face-to-face interactions with others. Whether we are catching up with old friends or meeting new acquaintances for the first time, paying a visit remains an essential way for us to connect with one another on a personal level.

Usage and Variations of the Idiom “pay a visit”

When we want to see someone or something, we often use the idiom “pay a visit” . This phrase has many variations that can be used in different contexts. Let’s explore some of these variations and how they are commonly used.

One common variation is “make a visit” , which has the same meaning as “pay a visit”. Another variation is “drop by” or “drop in”, which implies a casual or unexpected visit. We can also say “call on” when referring to visiting someone at their home, office, or other location.

The idiom “pay a visit” is often used to describe visiting friends, family members, colleagues, or acquaintances. For example: “I’m going to pay a visit to my grandmother this weekend.” It can also be used in more formal situations such as business meetings: “The CEO paid a surprise visit to our office yesterday.”

“Drop by” and its variations are commonly used when referring to informal visits with friends or acquaintances: “I’m going to drop by Sarah’s house after work today.” Similarly, we might say: “I just wanted to drop in and say hello.”

“Call on” is typically reserved for more formal occasions such as job interviews or professional meetings: “I need to call on Mr. Smith at his office tomorrow.” However, it can also be used in everyday conversation when referring to visiting someone’s home: “We’re planning on calling on our neighbors this weekend.”

Synonyms, Antonyms, and Cultural Insights for the Idiom “pay a visit”

Instead of saying “pay a visit” , you could use phrases like “drop by”, “stop in”, or “pop in”. These expressions convey the same meaning but with different nuances. For example, if you say you’re going to “drop by” someone’s house, it implies that your visit will be brief and casual. On the other hand, if you say you’re going to “stop in”, it suggests that your visit might be longer or more formal.

Antonyms for “pay a visit” include phrases like “avoid”, “ignore”, or simply not visiting at all. Of course, these expressions have negative connotations and are not appropriate when talking about friendly visits.

Culturally speaking, paying visits is an important social custom in many countries around the world. In some cultures, such as Japan and Korea, it is customary to remove one’s shoes before entering someone’s home as a sign of respect. In other cultures, such as Italy and Spain, it is common to bring small gifts or treats when visiting friends or family members.

Practical Exercises for the Idiom “pay a visit”

Exercise 1: fill in the blanks.

In this exercise, you will need to fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the given options:

• It’s been a while since I last _______ my grandparents.
• We decided to _______ our friends who live across town.
• I’m planning to _______ my old school teacher next week.

Exercise 2: Create sentences

In this exercise, you will need to create sentences using “pay a visit” in different contexts:

• Create a sentence using “pay a visit” when talking about visiting someone at their workplace.
• Create a sentence using “pay a visit” when talking about visiting someone who is sick or unwell.
• Create a sentence using “pay a visit” when talking about visiting an unfamiliar place for sightseeing purposes.

Exercise 3: Role-play activity

In this exercise, you will need to role-play different scenarios where you would use the idiom “pay a visit” . This could include situations such as visiting family members during holidays or dropping by someone’s house unexpectedly. You can practice with friends or family members and try out different variations of the idiom based on context and tone of conversation.

By practicing these exercises regularly, you’ll soon become more confident in using the idiom “pay a visit” in your everyday conversations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the Idiom “pay a visit”

When using idiomatic expressions, it’s important to understand their meaning and usage in context. The idiom “pay a visit” is commonly used to describe visiting someone or somewhere, but there are some common mistakes that people make when using this expression.

Using the Wrong Preposition

One of the most common mistakes when using “pay a visit” is using the wrong preposition. The correct preposition to use with this idiom is “to”. For example, you can say “I’m going to pay a visit to my grandmother.” Using other prepositions like “at” or “in” would be incorrect and sound unnatural.

Misusing the Word Order

Another mistake people make with this idiom is misusing the word order. The correct order should be subject + verb + object. For example, you can say “I’m going to pay a visit to my friend.” Incorrectly saying something like “To my friend I’m going to pay a visit” would be grammatically incorrect and confusing.

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Idiom:  pay a visit

Meaning .

Idiom:  pay a visit to someone/something (pay someone/something a visit)

• to go see someone or something

Example sentences

• I haven’t heard from my father in two weeks so I’m going to pay him a visit and make sure he’s okay.
• There are very few doctors who will pay a visit to patients' homes these days.
• It's been a few months since we've seen my mother-in-law so we need to pay a visit this weekend.
• My best friend was in town and decided to pay a visit but we were at the shopping mall so I missed her.
• Let's pay a visit to the cemetery on Veterans Day and lay down some flowers at my grandfather's grave.
• You'll be paying the dentist a visit  soon if you don't stop drinking so many sodas and eating those sugary candies.
• If you have a chance to pay a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial while you're in the Dakotas you will not regret it.
• A couple of police officers paid our office a visit this afternoon and I'm dying to know what they questioned my boss about.
• Every Memorial Day we pay a visit to my uncle's grave to pay our respects.
• come around

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Example sentences pay a visit

Just pay a visit to the link below.

Few politicians have dared to pay a visit to a concentration camp during their re-election campaign.

If you've been feeling low for more than a couple of weeks pay a visit to your doc.

Pay a visit to the newspaper editor and treat him to a knuckle sandwich?

Contact your local environmental health or planning department and ask it to pay a visit .

Definition of 'pay' pay

Definition of 'visit' visit

Cobuild collocations pay a visit.

Browse alphabetically pay a visit

• pay a supplier
• pay a visit
• pay a worker
• pay an allowance
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pay a visit to

Definition of pay a visit to

Examples of pay a visit to in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pay a visit to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near pay a visit to

pay attention to

Cite this Entry

“Pay a visit to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20a%20visit%20to. Accessed 13 Sep. 2024.

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pay a visit

• 1.1 Pronunciation
• 1.2.1 Translations

Pronunciation

pay a visit ( third-person singular simple present pays a visit , present participle paying a visit , simple past and past participle paid a visit )

• 2020 September 25, Reuters Staff, “Thai republican hashtag trends after constitution change delayed”, in Reuters ‎ [1] , Reuters, retrieved 2020-09-25 : Some protesters say the constitution also gives too much power to the king, who paid a rare visit to Thailand on Thursday for ceremonies honouring his grandfather, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. The king has spent most of his time in Europe since taking the throne nearly four years ago.
• 2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL , number 970 , page 55 : Brighton station is awash with people paying a visit to the seaside.
• ( idiomatic , euphemistic ) To go to the toilet .

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give somebody a visit

• Thread starter AntiScam
• Start date Oct 17, 2016

Senior Member

• Oct 17, 2016

Hello, We say pay somebody a visit , but what do you think of "give somebody a visit"? Can it be natural English under any circumstances? There are many phrases with give somebody/something a <something>.  

In BE, "to give somebody a visit" is used informally: Policeman: "I have found our suspect's address. He should be there now." Sergeant: "Then we should give him a visit... come on!" A: "I haven't seen Phillip around for a while..." B: "I gave him a visit a month or so back - he's as miserable as ever."  

PaulQ said: In BE, "to give somebody a visit" is used informally: Policeman: "I have found our suspect's address. He should be there now." Sergeant: "Then we should give him a visit... come on!" A: "I haven't seen Phillip around for a while..." B: "I gave him a visit a month or so back - he's as miserable as ever." Click to expand...

Hermione Golightly

I suggest it's a regional variation.  

It may well be regional. I would only use it in Paul's context in BE.  

You little ripper!

AntiScam said: I'm glad it turned out that the phrase is used. Click to expand...

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• pay a visit to

verb as in visit

Strongest matches

Strong matches

Weak matches

• come around
• look around

Related Words

Words related to pay a visit to are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word pay a visit to . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

verb as in pay a visit

verb as in be a guest of

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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Hi, I'm Summer!

I am a dog lover, craft maker, and great baker. And my big idea? To launch a small business of my own.

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That's so Florida! 8-foot alligator captured after paying visit to Bonita Springs home

Just days after an alligator attacked a woman in North Fort Myers , a large gator showed up on the doorstep of a Bonita Springs home over the weekend.

A Lee County Sheriff's Office video shows deputies and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers capture the 8-foot gator.

Officers used a catch pole to trap the gator and taped its snout before loading it onto a truck. FWC safely relocated the animal, the sheriff's office reported.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, a woman was walking her dog near a North Fort Myers pond when a 7-foot alligator lunged out of the water and bit her .

The woman was hospitalized with injuries to her leg, according to FWC.

Alligators are found in all of Florida's 67 counties. Population growth and the popularity of waterfront homes have caused an increase in alligator interactions. Still, serious injuries from alligators are rare, the FWC says.

Alligator safety tips

FWC suggests these simple rules to help you safely co-exist with alligators:

• Closely supervise children when they are playing in or around water.
• Never swim outside of posted swimming areas.
• Don't wade in waters where large alligators are known or likely to occur. 
• Swim only during daylight hours. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
• Do not allow pets to swim, exercise or drink in or near waters that may contain alligators or in designated swimming areas with humans. Dogs are more susceptible to being bitten than humans because dogs resemble the natural prey of alligators. The sound of dogs barking and playing may draw an alligator to the area.
• Never feed or entice alligators — it is dangerous and illegal. When fed, alligators overcome their natural wariness and associate people with food.
• Inform others that feeding alligators is illegal and creates problems for others who want to recreate in or near the water.
• Dispose of fish scraps in garbage cans at boat ramps and fish camps — do not throw them in the water.
• Observe and photograph alligators only from a safe distance.
• Leave alligators alone. State law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators except under permit.
• Never remove an alligator from its natural habitat or accept one as a pet. It is illegal and dangerous to do so. Handling even small alligators can result in injury.

Alligator or crocodile? Both live in Florida. What's the difference

While both are crocodilians , alligators mostly live in freshwater while crocodiles prefer salt water.

American crocodiles are endangered and found only in the coastal southern third of Florida, the Daytona News-Journal reported.

Alligators are black and have broad, rounded snouts. American crocodiles are grayish-green and have narrow, tapered snouts.

If you see either one, keep your distance. It's illegal to feed, touch or try to move a crocodile.

Support local journalism by  subscribing to a Florida news organization .

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Meaning of pay a visit in English

Pay a visit, pay someone a visit | intermediate english, pay someone a visit.

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to move something by pulling it along a surface, usually the ground

Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)

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Flight attendant union rejects American Airlines' proposed 17% pay raise

The labor union that represents  American Airlines  flight attendants on Wednesday rejected a company proposal to immediately raise pay by 17%.

CEO Robert Isom offered flight attendants immediate 17% wage increases earlier Wednesday as contract talks continue without a deal, bringing the prospect of a strike closer.

The airline and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants have struggled to reach a new contract agreement, differing on major issues, such as pay. Flight attendants haven’t received contract raises since before the pandemic.

“We have made progress in a number of key areas, but there is still a good deal of work to be done,” Isom said in a video message to flight attendants.

The union said the two sides are scheduled to meet with federal mediators next week for a “last-ditch” effort to get a deal done, adding that flight attendants   were told to prepare for a strike.

Strikes are extremely rare among airline employees. The last took place in 2010 among Spirit Airlines pilots. If the two parties can’t reach a deal, a release by federal mediators would be triggered, a process that would take several weeks.

“So, to get you more money now, we presented APFA with a proposal that offers immediate wage increases of 17% and a new formula that would increase your profit sharing,” Isom said Wednesday. “This means we’ve offered increased pay for all flight attendants and are not asking your union for anything in return. This is unusual, but these are unusual times.”

Julie Hedrick, the union’s national president, said that the airline’s focus should be on preparing a longer-term deal with the flight attendants.

“This is not that,” she said.

Also on Wednesday, the union said it opened a “strike command center” with dedicated phone lines and other resources to answer cabin crew questions.

U.S. airline pilots largely locked in new labor deals last year, while flight attendants at American,  United  Airlines and  Alaska  Airlines are  still negotiating .

Last month, a bipartisan group of more than 160 House representatives wrote to the National Mediation Board, urging it to help  complete deals  with airlines and flight attendants.

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