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.

This relationship suggests the seals may be repaying a lingering oxygen debt accumulated during diving and hunting trips.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

The Atlanta-based company plans to use proceeds to repay debt under its term loan facility.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

And while its revenue has shown consistent growth over the past few years, the eight-year-old company isn’t profitable yet and it has accumulated a lot of debt.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

But the proposed merger would saddle the combined company with $79 billion in debt, stoking fears that Paramount would be forced to make steep cost cuts to juggle such a large debt load.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

At the trader’s, Deydey paid off the winter’s debt and bought a length of blue broadcloth for Mama to sew into a dress.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

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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