in the red

Idioms  

1. In debt, as in Joshua can't keep track of funds, so half the time his company is in the red. This expression alludes to the bookkeeping practice of marking debits in red ink and credits in black. It survives even in the age of computerized accounts. So does the antonym, in the black, for being financially solvent or out of debt, as in Bill was happy to say they were in the black. [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

“I’m Carolina Giraldo Navarro from Medellín, Colombia, and today, I am the first Latina woman to headline at Coachella,” she told the crowd, decked in the red, blue and yellow colors of the Colombian flag.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Things were far rosier in the red half of north London in 1998.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Asian stocks gave up early gains to close in the red, and U.S. futures pointed down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

But shares jumped 2.9% Thursday after starting the day in the red.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Then Jackie came outside looking like Miss America, and I thought Burl was going to faint right there in the red dirt.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor