red ink
Americannoun
-
a financial deficit; business loss.
-
the condition of showing a business loss.
Etymology
Origin of red ink
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At least one image captures a tattoo of the name “David” in red ink on Hernandez’s finger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
For example, the word "red" might appear in red ink.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026
Screenshots the student then shared appeared to show manual marking in red ink, unlike the green tick marks used in the digital evaluation system.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Bleeding red ink and having been slow to transition to EVs and hybrids, Nissan embarked in late 2024 on a painful restructuring effort to close factories and cut 20,000 jobs by 2028.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
My report cards were a sea of red ink.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
