Debt
Noun
UK
/det/
US
/det/
Definition
Money or duty owed.
Example
"They paid their debt."
"She was in debt after borrowing money from the bank to buy a new car."
"He owed a debt of gratitude to his teacher, who supported him during difficult times."
Explanation
Debt means the money that a person, company, or country owes to someone else. For example, if you borrow $100 from a friend, you are in debt until you pay it back. Debt can also describe a sense of duty or something owed that isn’t money, like a “debt of gratitude” when you feel thankful to someone. Being in debt usually means you must repay money in the future, often with extra cost called interest. Debt can be large (like a loan) or small (like borrowing bus fare).