in the red

prepositional phrase

Having net losses; in debt.

“The figures are going to be in the red this year.”

Similar
in the hole
Opposite
in the black
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticaccountingHaving net losses; in debt.

    The figures are going to be in the red this year.

    Synonyms: in the hole

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseHaving net losses; in debt.

Similar
in the hole
Opposite
in the black
Also see
in debtin the holeoff the nut

Origin

From the standard accounting practice of using red ink to denote negative values, especially a net loss. The first known written use of the phrase is from the "Wise-crack dictionary" (1926) by George H. Maines and Bruce Grant.http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/202000.html

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish miinuksen puolella
  • miinuksen puolellain debt
French dans le rouge
  • dans le rougein debt
German in den roten Zahlen, in den Roten
  • in den roten Zahlenin debt
  • in den Rotenin debt
Italian essere al verde
  • essere al verdein debt
Japanese 赤字
  • 赤字 (akaji)in debt
Korean 적자
  • 적자 (jeokja)in debt
Portuguese no vermelho
  • no vermelhoin debt
Russian в долга́х
  • в долга́х (v dolgáx)in debt
Spanish en números rojos
  • en números rojosin debt
Thai ติดหนี้, เป็นหนี้
  • ติดหนี้ (dtìt nêe)in debt
  • เป็นหนี้ (bpen nêe)in debt
Vietnamese mắc nợ
  • mắc nợin debt
Cite this entry
APA

in the red. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20red

MLA

“in the red.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20red. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in the red,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20red.

Source: in the red on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.