Owe - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT owe /oʊ/ /əʊ/ IPA guide

Other forms: owing; owed; owes

People owe things when they're in debt to someone. A friend can owe you a favor, and your employer owes you a paycheck.

When you talk about owing, it has to do with what someone deserves from someone else. If you borrow library books, you owe them to the library after a few weeks. When you take out a loan, you owe that money to the bank. You can also owe favors and more abstract things. If a friend did something bad to you, but they've been your friend a long time, you probably owe them a second chance.

Definitions of owe

verb be obliged to pay or repay see moresee less types: chalk up, run up accumulate as a debt
verb be in debt “She owes me $200” “I still owe for the car” “The thesis owes much to his adviser” see moresee less types: mortgage put up as security or collateral bond issue bonds on type of: be have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
verb be indebted to, in an abstract or intellectual sense “This new theory owes much to Einstein's Relativity Theory” see moresee less type of: build on, build upon, repose on, rest on be based on; of theories and claims, for example

Pronunciation US /oʊ/ UK /əʊ/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘owe'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

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