# in the red

> English word · Prep_phrase

## Definitions
1. Having net losses; in debt.

## 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.http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/202000.html

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/in-the-red