in the red

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]

Example Sentences

The charity fund would be in the red.

From Los Angeles Times

And Lloyd dotted down at the end of a sweeping move with the clock in the red to ensure her side registered the final points of the match, having also banked the first.

From BBC

When French captain Manae Feleu was shown a yellow card minutes later for collapsing a dominant Irish scrum with the clock in the red, Bemand's side looked to add another before the break.

From BBC

Even with increased Medicare reimbursement, Glenn Medical Center’s annual financial statements show that the hospital consistently operated in the red.

From Los Angeles Times

The prosecutor in the red hands affair said it appeared "to be an attempt to destabilise France orchestrated by Russian intelligence".

From BBC