verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/əʊ/
US:ō
US:/oʊ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ditransitive
Examples
We owe it to our children to make our nation a better place to live in the future.
I owe Kevin five bucks which he lent to me last week.
This time I'll cover for you, but now you owe me a favour.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To have debt; to be in debt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To have as a cause; used with to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The record owes its success to the outstanding guitar solos.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
be in debt
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She owes me $200
I still owe for the car
The thesis owes much to his adviser
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: be
Narrower terms: mortgage
5
verb
Meaning 5
be obliged to pay or repay
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: chalk up, run up
6
verb
Meaning 6
be indebted to, in an abstract or intellectual sense
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
This new theory owes much to Einstein's Relativity Theory
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: repose on, rest on, build on, build upon
History
Etymology
From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“to own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h2eh2óyḱe (“to possess, own”), reduplicated stative of *h2eyḱ- (“to own”). See also own, ought. Cognate with Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe, “to own, possess”).
Across languages
Translations
99 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
быць у абавя́зку
(bycʹ u abavjázku)
— to be under an obligation
Belarusian:
му́сіць
(músicʹ)
— to be under an obligation
Belarusian:
быць паві́нен
(bycʹ pavínjen)
— to be under an obligation
Bulgarian:
задължен съм
(zadǎlžen sǎm)
— to be under an obligation
Catalan:
deure
— to be under an obligation
Choctaw:
ahe̱ka
— to be under an obligation
Dutch:
schuldig zijn
— to be under an obligation
Esperanto:
ŝuldi
— to be under an obligation
Finnish:
olla velkaa
— to be under an obligation
French:
devoir
— to be under an obligation
Galician:
deber
— to be under an obligation
German:
schulden
— to be under an obligation
German:
schuldig sein
— to be under an obligation
Gothic:
𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽
(skulan)
— to be under an obligation
Greek:
χρωστάω
(chrostáo)
— to be under an obligation
Greek:
χρωστώ
(chrostó)
— to be under an obligation
Hebrew:
חב
(khav)
— to be under an obligation
Hebrew:
היה חייב
(hayá khayáv)
— to be under an obligation
Hungarian:
tartozik (with -nak/-nek)
— to be under an obligation
Ido:
debar
— to be under an obligation
Indonesian:
tagih
— to be under an obligation
Irish:
bí ar
— to be under an obligation
Italian:
dovere
— to be under an obligation
Latin:
dēbeō
— to be under an obligation
Occitan:
dever
— to be under an obligation
Old English:
sċulan
— to be under an obligation
Persian:
مدیون بودن
(madyun budan)
— to be under an obligation
Persian:
بدهکار بودن
(bedehkâr budan)
— to be under an obligation
Polish:
być zobowiązany
— to be under an obligation
Polish:
zawdzięczać
— to be under an obligation
Portuguese:
dever
— to be under an obligation
Romanian:
datora
— to be under an obligation
Russian:
быть до́лжным
(bytʹ dólžnym)
— to be under an obligation
Russian:
быть обя́занным
(bytʹ objázannym)
— to be under an obligation
Russian:
быть в долгу́
(bytʹ v dolgú)
— to be under an obligation
Slovene:
dolgovati
— to be under an obligation
Spanish:
deber
— to be under an obligation
Spanish:
adeudar
— to be under an obligation
Swedish:
vara skyldig
— to be under an obligation
Ukrainian:
ви́нен
(výnen)
— to be under an obligation
Ukrainian:
ви́нна
(výnna)
— to be under an obligation
Ukrainian:
ви́нні
(výnni)
— to be under an obligation
Ukrainian:
бу́ти ви́нним
(búty výnnym)
— to be under an obligation
Ukrainian:
му́сити
(músyty)
— to be under an obligation
Ukrainian:
пови́нний
(povýnnyj)
— to be under an obligation
Zazaki:
deyndarey
— to be under an obligation
Zyphe:
bah
— to be under an obligation
Belarusian:
завінава́ціцца
(zavinavácicca)
— to be in debt
Belarusian:
запазы́чыцца
(zapazýčycca)
— to be in debt
Belarusian:
быць ў даўгу́
(bycʹ w dawhú)
— to be in debt
Bulgarian:
дължа
(dǎlža)
— to be in debt
Catalan:
deure
— to be in debt
Chinese Cantonese:
欠
(him3)
— to be in debt
Chinese Mandarin:
欠
(qiàn)
— to be in debt
Chinese Mandarin:
欠債 /欠债
(qiànzhài)
— to be in debt
Czech:
dlužit
— to be in debt
Danish:
skylde
— to be in debt
Dutch:
schuldig zijn
— to be in debt
Finnish:
olla velkaa
— to be in debt
Finnish:
olla veloissa
— to be in debt
French:
devoir
— to be in debt
Galician:
deber
— to be in debt
German:
schulden
— to be in debt
German:
schuldig sein
— to be in debt
Gothic:
𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽
(skulan)
— to be in debt
Ancient Greek:
ὀφείλω
(opheílō)
— to be in debt
Haitian Creole:
dwe
— to be in debt
Hebrew:
היה חייב
(hayá khayáv)
— to be in debt
Hungarian:
tartozik
— to be in debt
Irish:
bí ar
— to be in debt
Italian:
dovere
— to be in debt
Italian:
essere in debito
— to be in debt
Japanese:
借りがある
(kari ga aru)
— to be in debt
Japanese:
負う
(ou)
— to be in debt
Korean:
빚지고 있다
(bitjigo itda)
— to be in debt
Latin:
dēbeō
— to be in debt
Malay:
berhutang
— to be in debt
Norwegian:
skylde
— to be in debt
Occitan:
dever
— to be in debt
Persian:
بدهکار بودن
(bedehkâr budan)
— to be in debt
Polish:
mieć dług
— to be in debt
Polish:
być winnym
— to be in debt
Polish:
winić
— to be in debt
Portuguese:
dever
— to be in debt
Romanian:
datora
— to be in debt
Russian:
до́лжен
(dólžen)
— to be in debt
Russian:
должна́
(dolžná)
— to be in debt
Russian:
должны́
(dolžný)
— to be in debt
Russian:
быть до́лжным
(bytʹ dólžnym)
— to be in debt
Russian:
быть в долгу́
(bytʹ v dolgú)
— to be in debt