underdog
Americannoun
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underdogs
plural
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a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.
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a victim of social or political injustice.
The underdogs were beginning to organize their protests.
noun
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the competitor least likely to win a fight or contest
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a person in adversity or in a position of inferiority
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of underdog
1875–80, under- + dog ( def. )
Explanation
An underdog is someone who isn't likely to win a competition or contest. When a professional basketball player faces off against a high school student who's a foot shorter, the high schooler is the underdog. Anyone at a disadvantage, whether in general or in a particular situation, can be called an underdog. In sports, it's common to call the team that's expected to lose in a game the underdog. This word was originally used in dogfighting around 1887, to refer to a dog defeated in a fight. A 1960s cartoon character named Underdog was an unlikely (and under-qualified) superhero dog. The show's tagline was "There's no need to fear! Underdog is here!"
Vocabulary lists containing underdog
Idioms and Expressions, List 1
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Academy Awards, List 2
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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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.
See Examples For:
He’ll respond like an underdog boxer delivering a knockout punch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The new format, expanding team participation from 32 to 48, has brought to center stage smaller, underdog countries that have outperformed expectations, produced unexpected heroes and warmed our collective hearts.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Canada's underdog run - from claiming their first World Cup point, their first win, and finally a knockout-stage victory as well - is one for the history books.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
"Arthur still starts as the underdog given the difference in ranking and top-level experience," said BBC Sport analyst Jamie Murray.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
War Admiral was the heavy favorite in the betting, but reporters mingling in the crowd found that most racegoers were rooting for the underdog.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
A recommitment to the outcasts, the overlooked, the underdogs of society.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
England, for the first hour, struggled as they did against Ghana to break down a Panama side ranked 42nd in the world, even offering the underdogs hope with another vulnerable defensive display.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
The players he signed to free-agent contracts or traded for were underdogs, outcasts and second-fiddles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The squad came into the tournament as the underdogs, playing in group H against two former World Cup winning teams – Spain and Uruguay.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
And it sure seemed to me that screechers had always been the underdogs in nature’s plan.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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.
