noun
feeling of indebtedness; sense of obligation
Refers to a psychological burden or guilt from feeling one owes someone, often used in phrases like 負い目を感じる (to feel indebted).
彼に助けてもらってから、ずっと負い目を感じている。
Ever since he helped me, I've felt a sense of indebtedness.
負い目があると、なかなか自分の意見が言えない。
When you feel indebted, it's hard to speak your mind.
Compound of 負い (from 負う 'to bear, to owe') and 目 (here a suffix indicating a quality or state). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period to express a sense of obligation.