Word
debt
US/ˈdɛt/
UK/dˈɛt/
Definitions
01money owed
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Finance
n. an amount of money that you owe to a person, bank, or company.
n. a specific sum of money owed by one party to another, typically arising from a loan or credit agreement.
“It took him three years to pay off his student debt after graduating.”
“The company struggled to service its mounting debt as interest rates rose and consumer demand began to soften.”
Pitfall
He paid his debts with a lot of interests.
He paid his debts with a lot of interest.
In the context of money paid for a loan, 'interest' is uncountable.
02the state of owing
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the situation of owing money to others.
n. the state or condition of owing money; often used in the phrase 'in debt'.
“The family was deeply in debt after the business failed.”
“Living in debt creates a cycle of stress that can prevent individuals from making long-term financial investments.”
Usage
Commonly follows the preposition 'in'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03moral obligation
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a feeling that you should do something for someone because they were kind to you or helped you.
n. a moral or social obligation to perform a service or show gratitude to another party.
“I owe her a debt of gratitude for helping me find this job.”
“The nation owes a profound debt to the volunteers who risked their lives during the emergency rescue operations.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'a debt of gratitude'.
Synonyms
04legal action for money
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Technical · Formal
n. a legal process used to get back money that is owed.
n. a formal legal action or proceeding brought to recover a specific sum of money.
“The firm decided to bring an action of debt against the supplier.”
“The plaintiff initiated a debt proceeding to recover the unpaid balance of the construction contract plus statutory interest.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “debt” in context.
Verb
01. clear a debt
“The company sold its assets to clear its outstanding debts.”
verb + adj + noun
02. pay off a debt
“It took him nearly five years to finally pay off his student debt.”
verb + adj + noun
03. run up a debt
“She ran up a massive debt on her credit cards during the holiday season.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
04. bad debt
“The bank had to write off millions of dollars in bad debt that could not be recovered.”
adj + noun
05. mounting debt
“The family struggled to cope with their mounting debts and rising rent.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. debt repayment
“The government is struggling to meet its monthly debt repayment schedule.”
noun + noun
Preposition
07. a debt of gratitude
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the doctors who worked tirelessly during the crisis.”
noun + of + noun
08. in debt
“Many young professionals find themselves heavily in debt after graduating from university.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Have you really spent three years of your life in the best possible way, and was it worth £50,000 worth of debt.” “The treasury’s latest debt balance showed $40.047tn on Tuesday afternoon, the highest in US history.” “Interest payments on government debt are now 15% higher than the same period last year, says El-Erian.” Etymology
From Middle English dette, dett, borrowed from Old French dete (French dette), from Medieval Latin dēbita, from Latin dēbitum (“what is owed, a debt, a duty”), neuter of dēbitus, perfect passive participle of dēbeō (“to owe”), contraction of *dehibeō (“I have from”), from de (“from”) + habeō (“to have”). Doublet of debit. The unpronounced "b" in the modern English spelling is a Latinisation from the Latin etymon dēbitum.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/debt