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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

A year ago, the weekly index—it measures nine things, from margin debt to trading volume to short interest—had a reading of 0.19.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Oracle confirmed that it doesn’t expect to raise any more debt for the rest of 2026.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

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 people in my church always encouraged me and never asked me for anything back, but I felt a debt accumulating.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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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