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Glite Dictionary
the red

the red

25 6.3
A business or person that owes more money than they have
  • idiom
  • /ðə rɛd/
translation icon : números rojos
  • Last year, the company went into the red (financially) for the first time ever.

So the people that are most successful versus the people who are stressing out, going into the red and then failing.

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Examples

  • Granger Aeronautics has been in the red for the past year.

    A Brother's Honor (2019)

  • Even the capital surplus countries of the Persian Gulf are in the red.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Social Security is lurching into the red eight years sooner than expected.

    Blog text (9)

  • The stock plummeted deeper in the red the next day, losing 24% by the close on July 22.

    Blog text (12)

  • Alberta has stayed in the red for all but one fiscal cycle since then (Henton and Varcoe 2015).

    Academic text (2017)

  • YOU’RE TOTALLY IN THE RED WITH VERY LITTLE HOPE OF RECOVERY.

    Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

  • After reviewing the financial statements, the accountant confirmed that the restaurant is currently in the red for this quarter.

  • If the company continues to spend this way, it will quickly find itself in the red by the end of the year.

  • Due to unexpected expenses, her personal finances are in the red, forcing her to cut back on spending.

Synonyms

red ink
vsthe red
12 4.4

A financial loss shown in company accounts or budgets

describes the ongoing state of operating at a loss rather than the deficit itself
in the red
vsthe red
7 4.9

Having less money than you owe

is the noun name for that state rather than the idiom form
in red ink
vsthe red
1 6.5

In debt because a business is losing money

is the noun naming that loss situation rather than a descriptive phrase

Antonyms

in the black
9 5.5

Having more money than you owe

How Indebted

bankrupt
151 4.2
insolvent
  • Specialized
18 7.7
the red
25 6.3
to break even
27 3.3
solvent
15 5.5

Surface Forms

the red singular
the reds plural

Morphology

the + red

The phrase’s meaning relies on a conventional accounting metaphor (red ink = negative balance), so knowing 'the' and 'red' as a colour does not automatically give the financial sense. Because the colour→deficit mapping exists in many languages, there is a recognizable metaphorical link, but it still requires cultural/accounting knowledge and exposure, making it only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The phrase the red comes from old business books where people wrote losses in red ink and money coming in in black. So, saying a company is 'in the red' means 'in debt' or 'losing money'.