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.

SoftBank’s AI bets are financially complex, use a lot of debt and often involve transactions between the company’s units or entities in which it has large stakes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

China is also the largest single bilateral creditor with Solomon Islands debt to Chinese banks for infrastructure projects doubling last year.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Most of the debt and equity investments in funds such as the Global Value Sicav are by their nature illiquid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

The financially conflicted, who fell in between the two groups, said their priorities were having income for a healthy lifestyle, reducing debt and saving for retirement.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

They were penniless, so deep in debt that they were all but buried alive by it, only for the butcher to offer a hand, and a house, and food enough for them all.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Vocabulary lists containing debt

Material World: Shopping Lingo

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The Great Depression and The New Deal

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Economics

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