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View synonyms for

owe

[ oh ]

verb (used with object)

owed, owing.
  1. to be under obligation to pay or repay:

    to owe money to the bank; to owe the bank interest on a mortgage.

  2. to be in debt to:

    He says he doesn't owe anybody.

  3. to be indebted (to) as the cause or source of:

    to owe one's fame to good fortune.

  4. to have or bear (a feeling or attitude) toward someone or something:

    to owe gratitude to one's rescuers.

  5. Obsolete. to possess; own.


verb (used without object)

owed, owing.
  1. to be in debt:

    Neither lend nor owe. Who owes for the antipasto?

owe

/ əʊ /

verb

  1. to be under an obligation to pay (someone) to the amount of
  2. intr to be in debt

    he still owes for his house

  3. often foll by to to have as a result (of)

    he owes his success to chance

  4. to feel the need or obligation to do, give, etc

    to owe somebody thanks

    to owe it to oneself to rest

  5. to hold or maintain in the mind or heart (esp in the phrase owe a grudge )
“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of owe1

before 900; Middle English owen to possess, be under obligation, have to pay; Old English to possess; cognate with Old High German eigan, Old Norse eiga. See own, ought 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of owe1

Old English to have (C12: to have to); related to Old Saxon ŧ, Old High German eigan
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

On Monday, party spokesperson Lisa Smart said MPs "owe it to" victims to not just "offer words of support, but to deliver justice and bring offenders to account".

From

This is "owing to a combination of their complex modern materials, lack of a traditional coating layer, and intensity of flat colour fields, which make even the smallest areas of damage instantly perceptible," she said.

From

I understand that when I sell, I will owe capital gains tax because it is no longer my primary residence.

From

“I owe my performance today to my teammates,” he said.

From

There are certain duties that you owe when you are managing a company that someone else owns, but it's nothing like the ideology taught to us post-Milton Friedman.

From

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