red ink

noun

1. a financial deficit; business loss.

2. the condition of showing a business loss.

Word History and Origins

Origin of red ink¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

"If you're swimming in red ink, an infusion of cash helps stem the tide," he said of the bailout.

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"Whenever I regained consciousness, the first thing I checked was my hands - to see if there was any red ink on them," Mr Ahn recalled in his July interview.

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That’s no excuse, however, for Newsom to end-run California voters, or call a special election that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars at a time the state is gushing red ink.

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In his client’s glam Beverly Hills refuge, he hung a red ink sketch of abstract dress forms.

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He scrawled in red ink on a Ministry of Supply report that said the Americans were producing greater quantities: "I am sorry we can't produce more".

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Related Words

• arrears 
• bill 
• capital 
• commitment 
• credit 
• damage 
• deficit 
• due 
• indebtedness 
• liability 
• mortgage 
• obligation 
• price tag 
• receipt