Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Indebted with different prepositions

Indebted is most commonly followed by to for gratitude or financial obligation. Indebted for is also used, especially before the reason for gratitude.

Quick answer

How to use indebted

Use indebted to for the person or organisation you owe money or gratitude to. Use indebted for before the thing or favour received. Indebted in, indebted by, and indebted with are not standard patterns after this adjective.

We are deeply indebted to our volunteers.
She felt indebted for the support she received.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
indebted to + person/organisation

Owing gratitude or money

Use indebted to for the person, bank, group, or source to whom a debt or gratitude is owed.

The company is heavily indebted to several lenders.
I remain indebted to my mentors.
2
indebted for + thing/help

Reason for gratitude

Use indebted for before the benefit, favour, or support received.

We are indebted for your assistance.
He felt indebted for the opportunity.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
indebted to
She is indebted to her parents.
owing gratitude or money to someone
indebted for
We are indebted for your guidance.
grateful for something received
indebted in
Indebted in is not a standard pattern after indebted.
usually replaced by indebted to or in debt in
indebted by
Indebted by is nonstandard after indebted.
by may appear separately in passive structures, not as the adjective complement
indebted with
Indebted with is not idiomatic current English.
use indebted to or burdened with depending on meaning

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using indebted with

English does not normally use with after indebted.

✕ I am indebted with my teacher. ✓ I am indebted to my teacher.

Confusing indebted to and indebted for

To introduces the person; for introduces the reason or benefit.

✕ We are indebted for our investors. ✓ We are indebted to our investors.

Using indebted by as the main complement

By is not the normal preposition after indebted.

✕ She felt indebted by their kindness. ✓ She felt indebted for their kindness.

Using indebted in instead of in debt

Use in debt for financial situations.

✕ The company is indebted in several countries. ✓ The company is in debt in several countries.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I am deeply indebted ___ my colleagues.
2. They were indebted ___ the financial support.
3. Which phrase is standard English?

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Can indebted refer to money and gratitude?

Yes. It can describe both financial debt and emotional gratitude.

Is indebted for formal?

Yes. It is more formal than simply saying grateful for.

What is the difference between indebted to and grateful to?

Indebted to suggests a stronger sense of obligation or debt than grateful to.

ideal-for-in-as-at, from "identical to" or "identical with"? identifiable by, as, with, in or to? "idle for" or "idle in"? ignorant of, about, to, in or on? "illegal in" or "illegal for"? illustrative of, in, rather or for? ill with, in, for, at or of? "immune to" or "immune from"? "impatient with" or "impatient for"? "imperative for" or "imperative to"? impervious to, from or in?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account