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.

Forbes tallied Jim Justice’s net worth to be as much as $1.9 billion until 2021; more recently, it declared him “broke” and facing $1 billion in debt.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

The capital-intensive OCI shift led to a 68% rise in debt to $162 billion and a projected drop in operating margin to 43%.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

It said energy customers on repayment plans owed £1,000 less on average than those in debt who were without.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

A graduate with zero debt may be able to start funding retirement accounts instead of paying loan servicers $1,000 monthly for a decade.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

And I could tell Brother Zesht had no intention of honoring the debt, if ever they met again.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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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