Owe
oʊ
Definitions
2 meaningsTo be obligated to pay or repay something to a person or institution.
oʊ
To be in debt to someone.
I owe you a thank you for your help.
💡 Simply: Imagine you borrowed money or a favor from a friend. 'Owe' means you need to pay them back, whether it's money, time, or something else. For example, 'I owe you a pizza for helping me move!'
👶 For kids: It means you have to give something back to someone, like money or a toy.
More Examples
He owes a large sum of money to the company.
The company owes back taxes to the government.
How It's Used
"I owe the bank $5000 for my car loan."
"She owes me a favor after I helped her move."
To be indebted to someone for something; to be obliged to give something or show gratitude.
oʊ
To have something because of someone.
We owe our gratitude to the volunteers who helped.
💡 Simply: When we say we 'owe' something to someone in this context, it means they are the reason we have something good. Like, 'I owe my happy mood to the sunny weather!'.
👶 For kids: It means that someone helped you get something good, so you should say thank you!
More Examples
The company owes its profits to its customers.
He owes his talent to his parents.
How It's Used
"We owe our success to our dedicated team."
"I owe my life to the doctors who saved me."
Idioms & expressions
You owe me one.
Said when someone does something for you that you feel you should reciprocate at some point.
"Thanks for giving me a ride. You owe me one!"
From Old English āgan ('to own, possess, owe'), from Proto-Germanic *aigana-, related to words for 'property' and 'ownership'.
The word 'owe' has maintained a fairly consistent meaning throughout history, primarily relating to obligation and debt.
Memory tip
Think of a bill you need to pay.
Word Origin
"to own, possess, or owe"