debt

Universal Words noun 1 [C] a sum of money that sb owes: I need to pay off all my debts before I leave the country. * an outstanding debt of ｣300 * He had run up credit card debts of thousands of dollars. 2 [U] the situation of owing money, especially when you cannot pay: He died heavily in debt. * The club is ｣4 million in debt. * We were poor but we never got into debt. * It's hard to stay out of debt when you are a student. * a country's foreign debt burden seealsoBADDEBT 3 [C,usually sing.] the fact that you should feel grateful to sb because they have helped you or been kind to you: to owe a debt of gratitude to sb * I would like to acknowledge my debt to my teachers. IDIOMS be in sb's debt (formal) to feel grateful to sb for their help, kindness, etc.