owe someone one

verb

To be indebted to someone.

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Meanings

verbowe someone one (third-person singular simple present owes someone one, present participle owing someone one, simple past and past participle owed someone one)

present singular third person owes someone one · participle present owing someone one · participle past owed someone one · past owed someone one

  1. To be indebted to someone.

    You still owe me one as far as I'm concerned.

    2010, Ed Fralian, Wrong Place Wrong Time, →ISBN, page 228
    2 more examples

    When I say to a friend, "I owe you one," it's a way of saying thank you.

    2008, Courtney Cowart, American Awakening, →ISBN, page 170

    On the credibility scale, “We owe you one,” is right up there with, “The check is in the mail.”

    2008, Ken Lloyd, Jerks at Work: How to Deal With People Problems and Problem People., →ISBN, page 275

Translations

French devoir une fière chandelle, à charge de revanche
  • devoir une fière chandellebe indebted to someone
  • à charge de revanchebe indebted to someone
  • renvoyer l'ascenseurbe indebted to someone
  • en devoir unebe indebted to someone
Hungarian jön eggyel
  • jön eggyelbe indebted to someone
Spanish deberle una a alguien
  • deberle una a alguienbe indebted to someone
Cite this entry
APA

owe someone one. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/owe%20someone%20one

MLA

“owe someone one.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/owe%20someone%20one. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “owe someone one,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/owe%20someone%20one.

Source: owe someone one on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.