adjective
-
owing gratitude for help, favours, etc; obligated
-
owing money
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of indebted
1175–1225; in- 2 + debt + -ed 2; replacing Middle English endetted < Old French endetté, past participle of endetter to involve in debt ( see en- 1)
Explanation
When you’re indebted to someone, you owe that person something. It could be that you owe money, or it could be you’re just grateful for a nice thing the person did. You probably notice a big chunk of the word indebted is made up of the words “in debt.” If you’re indebted to someone you are indeed in debt — for either money or gratitude. You might be indebted to your credit card company, meaning you owe them money. Then you might be indebted to your mom when she gives you a small loan to pay the bill, meaning you owe her gratitude for bailing you out.
Vocabulary lists containing indebted
Bless Me, Ultima
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Amal Unbound
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“I’m forever indebted and grateful to these three brave souls.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
A pair of blue totems from 2016 are built upon an amalgamation of numerous smaller objects, the process and monochromatic finish indebted to Louise Nevelson.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
American is heavily indebted and not expected to turn a profit this year.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Evergrande became known as the world's most indebted property developer after much of its empire was built on $300bn of borrowed money.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
I did not want to be indebted to Kunthi, or to her son.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
