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.

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

"With debt rising sharply, it's more important than ever to make regulation work so that people know what support is available and can contact essential providers when they need to."

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Today’s graduates face education costs that consume years of earnings while carrying debt their grandparents never imagined.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 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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