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

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Manila were also deep in the red, though Tokyo edged up.

From Barron's

This broad selloff is taking hold across markets, with commodities deep in the red too, the chief market analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bitcoin fell 2.3% and Treasury prices were in the red as well.

From Barron's

The stern woman in the red sweater comes in with a new batch of messages.

From Literature

Wall Street ended mostly in the red, with the Dow the only advancer.

From Barron's