in the red

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiom

   Owing more money than you have, or spending more than you earn, so that an account or business shows a loss.

   Grammar: Used after a verb like be, go or end up; no article change: the account is in the red.

   Patterns

   • be in the red
   • go in the red
   • end the year in the red
   • stay in the red

   After the roof repairs, our savings account dipped into the red for the first time in years.

   The bakery has been in the red since the new supermarket opened down the street.

   Many small theaters end the season in the red unless donations come in.

Common combinations

be in the red

The club is in the red by about fifty thousand dollars.

slip into the red

One unexpected bill was enough to slip us into the red.

remain in the red

The company remained in the red for three quarters.

end the year in the red

The charity ended the year in the red after a weak fundraising drive.

move out of the red

Sales finally pushed the shop out of the red this spring.

Synonyms and how they differ

overdrawn

Overdrawn describes a bank account that has gone below zero, while in the red is wider and also fits businesses and budgets.

in debt

In debt simply says money is owed and is neutral, whereas in the red stresses that the figures on the books are negative.

loss-making

Loss-making is a more formal adjective for a business or project, and it cannot describe a person's personal account the way in the red can.

Opposites

Word family

red ink noun

losses or deficits, from the old habit of writing negative figures in red

the red noun

the state of owing money, as in a slide into the red

Commonly confused: in the red or in the black?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “in the red”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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