debt

[det] / dɛt /

NOUN

money owed to others

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arrears bill capital commitment credit damage deficit due indebtedness liability mortgage obligation price tag receipt

STRONG

IOU albatross baggage bite check chit claim cuff debenture debit dues duty encumbrance invoice manifest note reckoning responsibility score tab tally voucher

WEAK

arrearage bad news below the line dead horse in hock in the hole in the red outstandings promissory note red ink

Antonyms

STRONG

irresponsibility

WEAK

asset cash excess profit

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lindsay Nead: I’ve heard people say, “Oh, I fully maxed my credit card to get clothing for the show” or “I’m in crazy debt, I left my job.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Utilities often take on heavy amounts of debt to build and maintain power grids.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

The national debt, meanwhile, topped $39 trillion in March.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

“Jen will pay her debt to society and when she is a free woman again, she vows to pay her debt to the victims harmed by her mistakes.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

But never mind: The rating agencies, who were paid fat fees by Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms for each deal they rated, pronounced 80 percent of the new tower of debt triple-A.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

debt

Example Sentences

Related Words