verb
owe
OH/oʊ/
To be under an obligation to give or do something for someone.
The borrower hands over the money owed to the waiting neighbor.
Etymology
The ancestor meant “to own,” but a phrase literally meaning “to own to yield” expressed having to repay. Shortening that phrase left the verb with its debt meaning.
In context
We've only just met, and I already owe you lot an apology.
They still show that I owe money to this bank.
More examples
- She still owes the bank two hundred dollars.
- He helped me move, so I owed him a favor.
- You owe it to yourself to get some rest.
- The team owes its success to careful planning.
Forms
owe · owes · owed · owing