Definitions

debt

[det] / dɛt /

NOUN

money owed to others

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arrears bill capital commitment credit damage deficit due indebtedness liability mortgage obligation price tag receipt

STRONG

IOU albatross baggage bite check chit claim cuff debenture debit dues duty encumbrance invoice manifest note reckoning responsibility score tab tally voucher

WEAK

arrearage bad news below the line dead horse in hock in the hole in the red outstandings promissory note red ink

Antonyms

STRONG

irresponsibility

WEAK

asset cash excess profit

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.

Spirit Airlines, which employs 14,000 people, returned to bankruptcy last August amid high lease costs and debt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

At the same time they also note possible black-swan event risks like crises caused by sovereign debt, food or fiat collapse.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

A job in the trades, he thought, might offer a better path—one with less debt, something he could excel at.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The Virginia-headquartered bank late Tuesday set aside $4.07 billion to cover estimated expenses from bad debt, compared with expectations of $3.77 billion, according to data compiled by the London Stock Exchange Group.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Plantation owners were suddenly destitute, and state governments, shackled by war debt, were penniless.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Vocabulary lists containing debt

Material World: Shopping Lingo

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The Great Depression and The New Deal

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Economics

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