Meanings
alternative obsolete endebted · alternative obsolete addebted
- participlepastsimple past and past participle of indebt
comparative more indebted · superlative most indebted · alternative obsolete endebted · alternative obsolete addebted
- Obligated, especially financially.
One of China’s poorest and most indebted provinces has admitted defeat in trying to sort out its finances and is appealing to Beijing for help to avert default.
2023 April 27, Laura He, “China may have to bail out one of its poorest provinces”, in CNN Business - usuallyOwing gratitude for a service or favour.
And Ferguson was largely indebted to young keeper David de Gea, who has had his critics this season but made crucial saves to keep United in contention as they came under concerted pressure in the closing stages.
2011 October 15, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport2 more examples
We are indebted to an officer serving with the B.L.A. for sending us a copy of a fine coloured lithographed poster, reproduced above, which he found in the German Control Headquarters of the Belgian Railways in Brussels.
1945 November and December, Railway Magazine, page 353, image caption[Chappell] Roan draws from the mega-pop of the 2010s, from Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift – then laces it with sexually frank asides and lavish doses of camp, and performs it with a maximalist, absurd aesthetic indebted to drag, John Waters and Freddie Mercury.
2024 August 9, Laura Snapes, “It’s a femininomenon! How Chappell Roan slow-burned her way to stardom”, in The Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveowing gratitude or recognition to another for help or favors etc
adjectiveunder a legal obligation to someone
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian задлъжнял
- задлъжнял (zadlăžnjal)obligated to someone
Catalan endeutat
- endeutatobligated to someone
Dutch verschuldigd
- verschuldigdobligated to someone
Finnish velkaa, velkainen
- velkaaobligated to someone
- velkainenobligated to someone
French endetté
- endettéobligated to someone
Hindi ऋणी
- ऋणी (ŕṇī)obligated to someone
Italian indebitato
- indebitatoobligated to someone
Māori noho nama
- noho namaobligated to someone
Polish zobowiązany
- zobowiązanyobligated to someone
Portuguese endividado
- endividadoobligated to someone
Romanian dator, îndatorat
- datorobligated to someone
- îndatoratobligated to someone
Spanish endeudado, encalillado
- endeudadoobligated to someone
- encalilladoobligated to someone
- deudoso (disused)obligated to someone
Swedish skyldig
- skyldigobligated to someone
Turkish borçlu
- borçluobligated to someone
Cite this entry
indebted. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indebted
“indebted.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indebted. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indebted,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indebted.
Source: indebted on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.