verb
owe
oh
verb
1
To be required to pay money back to someone.
"He still owes me twenty pounds from last week."
"The company owes millions in unpaid taxes."
2
To have something be due to another person because of what they did for you.
"I owe you an apology for what I said."
"She owes her success to years of hard practice."
How to Use Owe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo be in someone's debt, whether in money, thanks, or an explanation.
Common pairings
owe money
owe an apology
owe someone a favour
Word Forms
owed past tense, ought past tense, own past tense, owes singular
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He still _____ me twenty pounds from last week.
Etymology
From Old English āgan, "to own" or "possess" — the same root that gave us "own" and "ought."