owe

owe — verb

1. to still have money, goods, or some other thing left to pay back, return, or han

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to still have money, goods, or some other thing left to pay back, return, or hand over to someone

Example

I still owe the bank three hundred dollars from last winter.

owe + institution + amount

Marta owes the dentist eighty dollars for last week's visit.

owe somebody something for something

Common collocations
  • owe money
  • owe rent
  • owe a bill
  • owe somebody change
  • owe somebody a refund
Synonyms
  • be in debt

    focuses on the state of owing money rather than a single unpaid item

  • be indebted

    more formal and often used in writing

  • have outstanding

    often used for unpaid bills, fees, or balances in business contexts

Antonyms
  • repay

    to give money back after borrowing it

  • settle

    to pay all of what is due, especially a bill or debt

Grammar Patterns

owe somebody money

owe somebody something

owe something to somebody

owe somebody something for something

Usage Note

Often used for money, bills, rent, or things that must be given back. Distinguish from sense 2, where the owed thing is usually an apology, thanks, or another response rather than an unpaid amount or borrowed object.

Common Mistakes

I owe to the bank five hundred dollars.
I owe the bank five hundred dollars.
'owe' can take the person or institution directly as its object.
She owes back my book.
She owes me my book back.
put the person before the thing in the common two-object pattern.

2. to be expected to give someone thanks, help, or another response after that pers

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to be expected to give someone thanks, help, or another response after that person has helped you or deserves it

Example

After the rescue, the village owed Captain Lee its thanks.

owe somebody thanks

Mina owes her coach a phone call before quitting the team.

Common collocations
  • owe somebody an apology
  • owe somebody thanks
  • owe somebody an explanation
  • owe somebody the truth
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

owe somebody thanks

owe somebody an apology

owe somebody an explanation

owe something to somebody

Usage Note

The object is often an apology, thanks, the truth, an explanation, or better treatment. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about unpaid money or things, and from sense 3, which explains the cause of success rather than a duty to respond.

Common Mistakes

I owe an apology for Maya.
I owe Maya an apology.
this sense commonly puts the person before the thing you should give.
We owe to our staff better training.
We owe our staff better training.
do not add 'to' before the person in the two-object pattern.

3. to have your success, condition, or existence because of a person, thing, or ear

3.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to have your success, condition, or existence because of a person, thing, or earlier event

Example

This small cafe owes its fame to one food blogger.

owe something to somebody

Our safe landing owed everything to the pilot's calm voice.

owe everything to somebody

Common collocations
  • owe success to
  • owe fame to
  • owe everything to
  • owe something to luck
  • owe its existence to
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

owe something to somebody

owe something to something

owe everything to somebody

Usage Note

The subject is usually something abstract such as success, fame, safety, life, or confidence. Distinguish from sense 2, where a person owes a response; here the sentence explains where a result comes from.

Common Mistakes

Her success owes from hard work.
Her success owes much to hard work.
this sense normally uses 'owe ... to ...', not 'owe from'.

4. to be required to follow and stand behind a ruler, state, or organization that h

4.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to be required to follow and stand behind a ruler, state, or organization that holds power over you

Example

In those days, farmers owed loyalty to the local lord.

formal collocation: owe loyalty to

By law, soldiers owe obedience to the civilian government.

formal collocation: owe obedience to

Common collocations
  • owe allegiance to
  • owe loyalty to
  • owe obedience to
Synonyms
  • be loyal to

    broader and less formal

  • serve

    can stress active support or duty under authority

  • be subject to

    focuses more on being under authority than on personal loyalty

Antonyms
  • defy

    to refuse to obey authority

  • betray

    to turn against a leader, country, or cause

Grammar Patterns

owe allegiance to somebody

owe loyalty to somebody

owe obedience to somebody

Usage Note

Mostly appears with nouns such as allegiance, loyalty, and obedience, especially in legal, political, or historical writing. Distinguish from sense 2, where the duty is personal; this sense is tied to authority and formal support.

Common Mistakes

Citizens owe to the king.
Citizens owe allegiance to the king.
this sense normally appears with a noun like 'allegiance', 'loyalty', or 'obedience'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Owe is the normal verb when you still need to pay money, return something, or give something back: You owe the bank two hundred dollars. Be in debt describes the situation more generally and often suggests a larger money problem, not just one unpaid item. Be indebted is more formal and appears often in writing or business English. Have outstanding is common for unpaid bills, fees, or balances in notices and account records. Repay is different because it describes the action of paying back, not the state before payment. Compare: I owe Sara ten dollars. The shop is deeply in debt. The client still has two invoices outstanding.

owe ↗be in debtbe indebtedhave outstandingrepay ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Owe comes from Old English agan, a verb that first meant to own or possess. From the idea of having something in your possession, English later developed the sense of having something due to another person. That is why modern owe can describe money that must be paid, thanks that should be given, or success that is traced back to a cause.