(~s, owing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ money to someone, they have lent it to you and you have not yet paid it back. You can also say that the money is owing.
The company ~s money to more than 60 banks...
Blake already ~d him nearly ?50...
I’m broke, Livy, and I ~ a couple of million dollars...
He could take what was owing for the rent.
VERB: V n to n, V n n, V n, V
2.
If someone or something ~s a particular quality or their success to a person or thing, they only have it because of that person or thing.
He ~d his survival to his strength as a swimmer...
I ~ him my life.
VERB: no passive, V n to n, V n n
3.
If you say that you ~ a great deal to someone or something, you mean that they have helped you or influenced you a lot, and you feel very grateful to them.
As a professional composer I ~ much to Radio 3...
He’s been fantastic. I ~ him a lot.
VERB: V amount to n, V n amount
4.
If you say that something ~s a great deal to a person or thing, you mean that it exists, is successful, or has its particular form mainly because of them.
The island’s present economy ~s a good deal to whisky distilling...
VERB: V amount to n
5.
If you say that you ~ someone gratitude, respect, or loyalty, you mean that they deserve it from you. (FORMAL)
Perhaps we ~ these people more respect...
I ~ you an apology. You must have found my attitude very annoying...
I ~ a big debt of gratitude to her.
VERB: V n n, V n n, V n to n
6.
If you say that you ~ it to someone to do something, you mean that you should do that thing because they deserve it.
I can’t go. I ~ it to him to stay...
You ~ it to yourself to get some professional help...
Of course she would have to send a letter; she ~d it to the family.
VERB: no passive, V it to n to-inf, V it to pron-refl to-inf, V it to n
7.
You use owing to when you are introducing the reason for something.
Owing to staff shortages, there was no restaurant car on the train.
PREP-PHRASE: PREP n