in the red

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Prepositional phrase

in the red

(idiomatic, accounting) Having net losses; in debt.
The figures are going to be in the red this year.

Synonyms

in the hole

Antonyms

in the black

Translations

in debt

Finnish: miinuksen puolella
French: dans le rouge
German: in den roten Zahlen, in den Roten
Italian: essere al verde (it)

Japanese: 赤字 (ja) (akaji)
Korean: 적자 (ko) (jeokja)
Russian: в долгах (v dolgax)
Thai: ติดหนี้ (dtìt nêe), เป็นหนี้ (bpen nêe)

Anagrams

nithered