Definitions

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.

But he and his team would also have to make $6 billion in cuts and take on $79 billion in deal debt.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

They bought stakes in microfinance lenders, extended financing or sold securitized microfinance debt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

They’ve also seen the leverage level as a key issue: The combined companies would emerge with $79 billion in debt on the books.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

The $6,000 out-of-pocket cost every three years of hearing aids can force some parents into debt or to delay or skip treatment, Marciniak said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

He was sure that he was going to win, and felt confident enough to agree, laughingly, to cancel part of Deydey’s debt.

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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