indebted

• endebted (obsolete)
• addebted (obsolete, with substitution of ad-)

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdɛtɪd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: in‧debt‧ed

indebted

1. simple past and past participle of indebt

indebted (comparative more indebted, superlative most indebted)

1. Obligated, especially financially.
   • 2023 April 27, Laura He, “China may have to bail out one of its poorest provinces”, in CNN Business‎^[1]:

     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.

2. (usually with to) Owing gratitude for a service or favour.
   • 1945 November and December, Railway Magazine, page 353, image caption:

     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.

   • 2011 October 15, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     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.

   • 2024 August 9, Laura Snapes, “It’s a femininomenon! How Chappell Roan slow-burned her way to stardom”, in The Guardian‎^[3]:

     [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.

• beholden
• obliged