noun
huge deficit; deep in the red; big loss
Emphasizes a very large financial loss or deficit, stronger than 赤字 alone. Commonly used in business and economic contexts.
今年度は大赤字で、ボーナスは出ないらしい。
This fiscal year we're deep in the red, and it seems there won't be any bonuses.
そのプロジェクトは大赤字を出して中止になった。
The project was canceled after incurring a huge deficit.
黒字 is the opposite, meaning 'in the black' or 'surplus'.
Compound of 大 (おお, 'big') + 赤字 (あかじ, 'deficit, red figures'). The term 赤字 itself comes from the practice of recording losses in red ink.