owe
UK: əʊ | US: oʊ
vt. to be under obligation to pay or repay (money, gratitude, etc.)
vt. to be indebted for something received
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The word "owe" traces back to Old English āgan, meaning "to possess, have, or own." Over time, its meaning shifted from literal ownership to a moral or financial obligation ("to owe something to someone"). The modern spelling "owe" emerged in Middle English, retaining the core idea of indebtedness while simplifying the form. The original sense of possession is still faintly visible in related words like "own."
I owe you twenty dollars for the concert ticket.
She owes her success to years of hard work.
They owe the bank a large sum of money.
We owe our gratitude to the volunteers.
He felt he owed an explanation for his absence.