owe
Americanverb (used with object)
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to be under obligation to pay or repay.
to owe money to the bank; to owe the bank interest on a mortgage.
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to be in debt to.
He says he doesn't owe anybody.
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to be indebted (to) as the cause or source of.
to owe one's fame to good fortune.
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to have or bear (a feeling or attitude) toward someone or something.
to owe gratitude to one's rescuers.
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Obsolete. to possess; own.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to be under an obligation to pay (someone) to the amount of
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(intr) to be in debt
he still owes for his house
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(often foll by to) to have as a result (of)
he owes his success to chance
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to feel the need or obligation to do, give, etc
to owe somebody thanks
to owe it to oneself to rest
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to hold or maintain in the mind or heart (esp in the phrase owe a grudge )
Etymology
Origin of owe
before 900; Middle English owen to possess, be under obligation, have to pay; Old English āgan to possess; cognate with Old High German eigan, Old Norse eiga. See own, ought 1
Explanation
People owe things when they're in debt to someone. A friend can owe you a favor, and your employer owes you a paycheck. When you talk about owing, it has to do with what someone deserves from someone else. If you borrow library books, you owe them to the library after a few weeks. When you take out a loan, you owe that money to the bank. You can also owe favors and more abstract things. If a friend did something bad to you, but they've been your friend a long time, you probably owe them a second chance.
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 76ers management countered with “We Owe You One”—a motto that clung to the team like body odor for the next five seasons.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Others stipulate “We Don’t Owe U a Tomorrow,” insisting that taking control of the present matters most.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2023
MacAskill’s book, “What We Owe The Future,” prompted a wave of media coverage of the “effective altruism” movement this summer.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2022
But his latest book, “What We Owe the Future,” became a best seller after it was published in August.
From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2022
Owe rhymes with low, we learned, for a reason.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
