expenses exceeding profits; operating at a loss
Used in business or financial contexts to describe a situation where costs are higher than revenue, resulting in a loss.
This month we had expenses exceeding profits, so we didn't make a profit.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant spelling using 掛り instead of 掛かり.
Compound of 掛かり (expenses, costs) and 負け (losing, defeat). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in financial contexts to indicate a loss due to high costs.