debt

debt — noun

1. an amount of money that a person, company, or government has borrowed and must p

1.nounB1
Definition

an amount of money that a person, company, or government has borrowed and must pay back to the lender

Example

Marta finally paid off her student debt after working for six years.

collocation: pay off a debt

The company ran up huge debts during the economic downturn.

collocation: run up debts

Common collocations
  • pay off a debt
  • run up a debt
  • be in debt
  • get out of debt
  • credit card debt
  • student debt
  • national debt
  • debt repayment
  • debt crisis
  • write off a debt
  • owe a debt
Synonyms
  • obligation

    broader; covers both financial and moral duties

  • liability

    formal/legal term, often used in business contexts for financial debts

  • borrowing

    focuses on the act of taking money, not the state of owing it back

Antonyms
  • credit

    money available to you, not owed

  • asset

    something valuable you own, as opposed to what you owe

Grammar Patterns

debt + to [someone]

in debt

out of debt

Usage Note

Frequently used in the phrases 'in debt' (owing money) and 'out of debt' (no longer owing). The noun can be countable (debts = individual amounts owed) or uncountable (debt = the general state of owing).

Common Mistakes

I have a debt of $1000 from the bank.
I owe the bank $1000.' or 'I have a debt of $1000 to the bank.
Use 'to' to show who is owed, not 'from.'
I borrowed a debt from my friend.
I borrowed money from my friend.
You borrow money, not a debt. The debt is the result of borrowing.

2. a strong feeling that you should be grateful to someone because of the help, sup

2.nounB2
Definition

a strong feeling that you should be grateful to someone because of the help, support, or kindness they have given you

Example

Ayesha said she owed a deep debt of gratitude to her grandmother for supporting her through college.

idiom: debt of gratitude

The community acknowledged its debt to the volunteers who rebuilt the local park.

collocation: acknowledge a debt to [someone]

Common collocations
  • debt of gratitude
  • owe a debt
  • acknowledge a debt
  • repay a debt
  • be in someone's debt
  • debt of kindness
  • debt of thanks
Synonyms
  • gratitude

    the feeling itself, without the sense of obligation to repay

  • obligation

    broader and more formal; can imply a duty without emotional gratitude

Grammar Patterns

debt of gratitude + to [someone]

in [someone's] debt

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed expressions 'a debt of gratitude' and 'to be in someone's debt.' This sense is always metaphorical — no actual payment is involved, and the verb 'repay' is used figuratively.

Common Mistakes

I have a debt of gratitude from my teacher.
I have a debt of gratitude to my teacher.
Use 'to' for the person you feel grateful toward, not 'from.'
She owes me a debt.' (when no help was given)
She owes me a debt of gratitude for helping her move.
The phrase needs context to specify the kind of debt; 'debt' alone in everyday speech usually means money.
Idioms

in someone's debt

idiom

feeling grateful to someone because of the help or kindness they have given you, with a sense of moral obligation to return the favor

After Hannah helped him find a job, Brandon said he would always be in her debt.

Nala told the rescue team that she was forever in their debt for saving her son.

be in somebody’s debt

idiom

To feel thankful to someone because they helped you or did something good for you.

After Maya fixed my computer, I was truly in her debt.

Are you in your brother's debt for lending you the money?

Word family

  • debtor
    nounB2
  • indebted
    adjectiveC1
  • indebtedness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Debt, loan, obligation, and liability all relate to something owed, but they differ in scope and context. A debt is the specific amount of money you must pay back after borrowing. A loan is the sum of money lent in the first place, which creates a debt. An obligation is a much broader term covering any duty to act or pay, whether legal or moral — not necessarily financial. A liability is a formal or legal term, commonly used in business, describing debts or financial responsibilities a company has. For example: 'She took out a student loan of $30,000.' (the money lent). 'Her debt is now $25,000 after making payments.' (what remains to be paid). 'The company listed its liabilities on the balance sheet.' (formal financial obligations).

loan ↗obligation ↗liability ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • debt repayment
  • debt crisis
  • debt relief
  • debt collection

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pay off a debt
  • run up a debt
  • write off a debt
  • be burdened by debt
  • debt of gratitude

Prepositions

  • in debt
  • out of debt
  • debt to [someone]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'debt' entered Middle English as 'dette' from Old French, which came from Latin 'debitum' meaning 'something owed.' The Latin word is the neuter past participle of 'debere' ('to owe'), which itself was formed from 'de-' ('away from') plus 'habere' ('to have') — literally meaning 'to have something away from someone else.' The 'b' was added back in the 15th century to match the Latin spelling, even though it was never pronounced.