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
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.
Warner approved a provision to pay up to $335 million to reimburse Zaslav for excise taxes he will owe once he cashes out.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
But it’s only allowed for people who didn’t owe taxes the previous year and don’t expect to owe this year.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
Sauer also had to insist that unauthorized immigrants and temporary visitors owe allegiance to their home countries rather than the U.S., thus removing their children from his tortured definition of jurisdiction.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
They’re also facing potential legal fights over what, if anything, they owe customers after their refund comes in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
“I owe you, big-time. You saved my life.”
From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins
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.
