owe
/əʊ
/verb [with object]
1Have an obligation to pay or repay (something, especially money) in return for something received: they have denied they owe money to the company [with two objects]: you owe me £19.50 for the electricity bill...
- Although the man did owe small sums of money, there is no evidence to suggest that he was heavily in debt.
- These men do low wage and often seasonal work, and owe large sums of money which most could never hope to pay off.
- A householder owing money will receive a written reminder and, if they ignore the letter, can expect a court summons.
Synonyms
be in debt (to), be indebted (to), be in arrears (to), be under an obligation (to), be obligated (to), be beholden to;
be in debit, be overdrawn (by), be in the red
informal be in debt to the tune of
1.1Owe something, especially money, to: I owe you for the taxi...
- Brigget was nowhere to be found, so I helped myself to a mouth-wateringly good cherry tomato. Man, was it good! Brigget, I owe you for a tomato. Okay, okay… I owe you for two tomatoes!
- Subcontractors say Williams owes them for Harlem work.
1.2Be under a moral obligation to give someone (gratitude, respect, etc.): I owe it to him to explain what’s happened [with two objects]: I owe you an apology...
- British cycling has rarely had it so good, and for that a debt of gratitude is owed to Manchester and the National Cycling Centre.
- Respect is owed to Fast Forward for being a publication with a degree of journalistic integrity.
- Thank you very kindly; if you care to drop me a line telling me who you are, it would be nice to know to whom I owe my gratitude.
1.3 (owe something to) Have something because of: champagne houses owe their success to brand image I owe my life to you...
- Judge owes his life to Tuskegee airmen.
- When asked ‘What do you owe your parents?’ his reply was ‘A long talking-to’.
Phrases
owe it to oneself (to do something)
owe someone one
owe one a living
Origin
Old English āgan 'own, have it as an obligation', of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit īs 'possess, own'. Compare with ought1.