owing

[ oh-ing ]

/ ˈoʊ ɪŋ /

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adjective

owed, unpaid, or due for payment: to pay what is owing.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

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Idioms about owing

owing to, because of; as a result of: Owing to a mistake in the payroll department, some of us were issued incorrect checks.

Origin of owing

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at owe, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM owing

un·ow·ing, adjective

Words nearby owing

Owen Stanley, Owen Stanley Range, ower, Owerri, OWI, owing, owl, owl butterfly, owlet, owlet moth, owlet nightjar

How to use owing in a sentence

Owing to its popularity as a pet, it has spread across the Pacific to China.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But owing to another experimental vaccine he received, its impossible to say whether the blood is what saved him.
Blood Is Ebola’s Weapon and Weakness|Abby Haglage|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By 1729 one of them was already complaining that “Rome is much changed to the worse … entirely owing to the British.”
Obama’s Extravagant Summer Break? More Like, America’s Vacation-Deficit Disorder|Clive Irving|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bloody as it is, Penny Dreadful is also rather beautiful, owing to some spectacular set design and spot-on horror imagery.
‘Penny Dreadful’ Is a Shameless Orgy of Blood, Gore, and Scary Fun|Kevin Fallon|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It would be too crazy—suicidal really, especially since, besides owing his job to Reilly, he also owes Reilly $20,000 dollars.
John O’Hara’s Mean, Lean Debut Novel Never Gives In to Despair|Nathaniel Rich|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In these enlightened days no man is imprisoned for owing money, but only because he does not pay it when told to do so.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
The strength of the lion is tremendous, owing to the immense mass of muscle around its jaws, shoulders, and forearms.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
This whole region is for the most part very cold, owing to various causes.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Owing to its inertia, no heavy bellows weight can be set into motion rapidly.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
It was to a great extent owing to the conduct of the Duke of Elchingen that Massna was at last compelled to retreat.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for owing

owing

/ (ˈəʊɪŋ) /

adjective

(postpositive) owed; due

owing to (preposition) because of or on account of

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

owing

Idioms about owing

Origin of owing

OTHER WORDS FROM owing

Words nearby owing

Words related to owing

How to use owing in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for owing