something that is owed, such as money, goods, or services - bad debt ⇒
a debt that has little or no prospect of being paid an obligation to pay or perform something; liability the state of owing something, esp money, or of being under an obligation (esp in the phrases in debt, in (someone's) debt)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
debt /dɛt/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- something that is owed or that one should pay to another:[countable]We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his help.
- an obligation to pay or perform something:[uncountable]He was in debt to the amount of $200,000.
debt
(det),USA pronunciation n.
debt′less, adj.
- something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another:a debt of $50.
- a liability or obligation to pay or render something:My debt to her for advice is not to be discharged easily.
- the condition of being under such an obligation:His gambling losses put him deeply in debt.
- Religion[Theol.]an offense requiring reparation;
a sin;
a trespass.
- Latin dēbita (neuter plural, taken in Vulgar Latin as feminine singular), noun, nominal use of dēbitus, past participle of dēbēre to owe, contraction of *dēhabēre, equivalent. to dē- de- + habēre to have, possess
- Old French
- Middle English dette 1175–1225
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged obligation, duty, due.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'in debt' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):