Indebted means owing someone something, usually money but sometimes gratitude or a favor. When you're indebted to the bank, you've borrowed money and need to pay it back. When a country is heavily indebted, it owes large amounts to other nations or lenders.

The word also describes that feeling of owing someone for their help or kindness. If your neighbor helps your family during a difficult time, you might feel indebted to them. This doesn't mean you owe them actual money, but rather that you recognize their generosity and feel grateful, perhaps wanting to return the favor someday.

Being indebted to someone creates a connection between you: they've given something (money, help, kindness), and you have a responsibility to acknowledge it or repay it. When someone says “I'm indebted to you,” they're expressing deep gratitude, recognizing that they couldn't have succeeded or gotten through something without the other person's help.

Unlike simple borrowing, indebted often suggests the debt is significant or meaningful. You wouldn't say you're indebted to someone for lending you a pencil, but you might feel indebted to a teacher who believed in you when others didn't.