in the red
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
in the red
Where it comes from
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
phrase
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Having net losses; in debt.
The figures are going to be in the red this year.
Similar: in the hole
Opposite: in the black
Thesaurus
phrase
Opposite: in the black
Translations
Every language
prep_phrase in debt
| Español | en números rojos |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 적자 jeokja |
| 日本語 | 赤字 akaji |
| Português | no vermelho |
| Français | dans le rouge |
| Deutsch | in den roten Zahlen, in den Roten |
| Italiano | essere al verde |
| Русский | в долга́х v dolgáx |
| Tiếng Việt | mắc nợ |
Talk about this word "in the red." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/in%20the%20red. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. in the red. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/in%20the%20red "in the red." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/in%20the%20red.Cite this
@misc{in_the_red_2026,
title = {in the red},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/in%20the%20red},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
