debt
gb/dˈɛt/ us/dˈɛt/
B1
English
~ 1500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Money that is owed
Money that you must pay back to a person or company.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is in debt to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'debt' with 'loan'. A loan is the money you borrow; debt is the state or amount you owe.
Synonyms
liability (A formal term often used in business or legal contexts for something owed.)
Antonyms
credit (In finance, credit can refer to money available to borrow or a positive balance, the opposite of owing money.)
Collocations
pay off debt
|get into debt
|in debt
|debt repayment
|debt collector
Themes
business
|finance
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She finally paid off all her credit card debt.
- The company is struggling under heavy debt.
- He borrowed $5,000 from the bank, so now he’s in debt.
- They reduced their debt by selling some assets.
Learner examples
- I have a big debt to the bank.
- She wants to pay her debt soon.
- He is in debt because he bought a car.
- The store has no debt now.
Noun
B2
state
2
Owing someone for help or kindness
A situation where you feel you must do something for someone because they helped you before.
Usage pattern:
in someone's debt
Common mistake:
Learners may take 'in someone's debt' literally as about money, when it can mean owing thanks or a favor.
Synonyms
obligation (A broader term for something you feel you must do, not always from gratitude.)
Antonyms
independence (Not being under any obligation to another person.)
Collocations
in someone's debt
|owe a debt of gratitude
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I am forever in your debt for saving my job.
- She felt in his debt after he helped her through a difficult time.
- We owe a great debt of gratitude to our teachers.
Learner examples
- I am in your debt for your help.
- He is in my debt because I helped him move.
- We owe a big debt of thanks to our parents.
Grammar
Dictionary form
debt
IPA
GB/dˈɛt/
US/dˈɛt/
Syllables & stress
debt (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (debt)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: debt
- Plural: debt, debts
Word family
Expressions
get into debt
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɪntu dˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Begin owing money
To start owing money to someone or a company.
Examples
- He got into debt after losing his job.
- Try not to get into debt when starting your business.
in debt
1/ˈɪn dˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Owing money to someone
To owe money to someone, like a bank or person.
Examples
- I'm still in debt from my student loans.
- Most young families are in debt because of their mortgages.
pay off a debt
1/pˈeɪ ˈɔf ə dˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Repay money completely
To give back all the money you owe.
Examples
- She worked hard to pay off her debt within two years.
- We finally paid off the last of our debts.
owe a debt of gratitude
1/ˈoʊ ə dˈɛt əv ɡɹˈætətˌud/
fixed phrase
formal
Feel deep gratitude toward someone
To feel very thankful for what someone has done for you.
Examples
- We owe a debt of gratitude to the volunteers who made this event possible.
- The community owes a debt of gratitude to the firefighters.
owe a debt of gratitude
2/ˈoʊ ə dˈɛt əv ɡɹˈætətˌud/
fixed phrase
formal
Deeply thankful obligation
To feel you must thank someone very much for helping you.
Examples
- We owe a debt of gratitude to the doctors who saved her life.
- I owe a great debt of gratitude to my mentors.