- your/somebody’s due [uncountable] a thing that should be given to somebody by right
- He received a large reward, which was no more than his due (= than what he deserved).
- She's a slow worker, but to give her her due (= to be fair to her), she does try very hard.
Homophones dew | duedew due/djuː//duː/- dew noun
- The dew sparkled in the morning sunlight.
- due adjective
- The fourth soloist was absent due to an illness.
- due noun
- Despite his talent, radio and TV have never given him his due.
- due adverb
- They sailed due north.
- dues[plural] charges, for example to be a member of a club
- to pay your dues
- trade union dues
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘payable’): from Old French deu ‘owed’, based on Latin debitus ‘owed’, from debere ‘owe’ .
Idioms
See due in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee due in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishpay your dues
- to work hard and gain experience, so that you deserve success or respect
- As a young actor, he paid his dues in small roles.
- She is incredibly qualified and has paid her dues to become president.
- to do what is required or expected of you
- Vick paid his dues (= completed his punishment), and since being released from prison has been a model citizen.
Check pronunciation:
due