debe
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of debe
C20: from Swahili
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.
Alex: There’s a famous dicho: El que nada debe, nada teme.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
When she meets a child Enrique’s age, she tells herself, “Asi debe estar mi muchachito. My little boy must look this big now.”
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
On his door appeared— "El Marquis de C---- Hace lo que debe Y debe por lo que hace."
From Lands of the Slave and the Free Cuba, the United States, and Canada by Murray, Henry A.
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.
