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.

The U.S. joined a long list of creditors seeking repayment from the company, which filed for chapter 11 in September last year under the weight of a heavy debt pile.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

The debt buyback may ease some of those worries for Strategy in the short term.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

This will keep my total debt from ballooning, which could leave me facing even higher monthly payments once they resume.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Failure to pay can result in a jail term - but even that doesn't cancel out the debt.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

In the process, Goldman Sachs created a security so opaque and complex that it would remain forever misunderstood by investors and rating agencies: the synthetic subprime mortgage bond–backed CDO, or collateralized debt obligation.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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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