Owe: meaning, definitions and examples

๐Ÿ’ธ
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owe

 

[ ษ™สŠ ]

Context #1 | Verb

financial

To be under an obligation to pay or repay money to someone, typically as a result of borrowing or overspending.

Synonyms

be in arrears to, be in debt to, be indebted to

Examples of usage

  • I owe my friend $20 for lunch.
  • She owes the bank a large sum of money.
Context #2 | Verb

favor

To be under a moral or social obligation to give someone something or to do something for them.

Synonyms

be beholden to, be obligated to

Examples of usage

  • I owe you an apology for my behavior.
  • We owe it to future generations to protect the environment.
Context #3 | Verb

gratitude

To feel grateful or thankful for something that someone has done for you.

Synonyms

be grateful for, be thankful for

Examples of usage

  • I owe you a debt of gratitude for your help.
  • We owe a lot to our parents for their love and support.

Translations

Translations of the word "owe" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น dever

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค•เคฐเฅเคœเคผ เคฆเฅ‡เคจเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช schulden

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ berutang

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะทะฐะฑะพั€ะณัƒะฒะฐั‚ะธ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ zawdziฤ™czaฤ‡

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๅ€Ÿใ‚Šใ‚‹ (kariru)

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท devoir

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ deber

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท borรงlanmak

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋นš์ง€๋‹ค (bijjida)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ูŠูŽุฏูŠู†

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ dluลพit

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ dlhovaลฅ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆฌ  (qiร n)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ dolgovati

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ skulda

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ า›ะฐั€ั‹ะท ะฑะพะปัƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ•แƒแƒšแƒ“แƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ borclu olmaq

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ deber

Etymology

The word 'owe' originated from the Old English word 'ฤgan', meaning 'to possess, have, own', which is related to the word 'own'. Over time, the meaning of 'owe' evolved to include the sense of being under obligation to repay something, particularly money. The concept of owing someone something has been a fundamental aspect of human relationships and economics throughout history.

See also: owed.

Word Frequency Rank

At #5,524 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.