owe
verb/əʊ/
/əʊ/
not used in the progressive tensesVerb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they owe | /əʊ/ /əʊ/ |
| he / she / it owes | /əʊz/ /əʊz/ |
| past simple owed | /əʊd/ /əʊd/ |
| past participle owed | /əʊd/ /əʊd/ |
| -ing form owing | /ˈəʊɪŋ/ /ˈəʊɪŋ/ |
- to have to pay somebody for something that you have already received or return money that you have borrowed
- owe somebody something She still owes her father £3 000.
- (figurative) I'm still owed three days' leave.
- owe something He owes more money than he can afford to pay.
- Exactly how much do we owe?
- owe something to somebody She still owes £3 000 to her father.
- The country owes billions of dollars to foreign creditors.
- owe something to somebody for something Most hospitals owe money to pharmaceutical companies for medicines and equipment.
- owe somebody something for something How much do I owe you for the groceries?
- to feel that you ought to do something for somebody or give them something, especially because they have done something for you
- owe something to somebody I owe a debt of gratitude to all my family.
- You owe it to your staff to be honest with them.
- I owe a duty to my family.
- owe somebody something You owe me a favour!
- Thanks for sticking up for me—I owe you one (= I owe you a favour).
- I think you owe us an explanation.
- I think we're owed an apology.
- to exist or be successful because of the help or influence of somebody/something
- owe something to somebody/something He owes his success to hard work.
- The play owes much to French tragedy.
- I owe everything to him.
- The town owes its existence to the minerals that lie below the mountains.
- owe somebody something I owe him everything.
- I knew that I owed the surgeon my life.
- owe allegiance/loyalty/obedience (to somebody) (formal) to have to obey and support somebody who is in a position of authority or power
- All serfs owed allegiance to a lord.
Word OriginOld English āgan ‘own, have it as an obligation’, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit īs ‘possess, own’.
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