also-ran
noun
- (in a race) a contestant who fails to win or to place among the first three finishers.
- an athlete or team whose performance in competition is rarely, if ever, a winning or near-winning one.
QUIZZES
LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!
Origin of also-ran
Words nearby also-ran
Example sentences from the Web for also-ran
“Depression” vs. “Anxiety”: Which Do I Have (Or Is It Both)?
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
“Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One
What Is An Em Dash And How Do You Use It?
What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?
“Frosting” vs. “Icing”: Are They Synonyms (Or Just Taste Like They Are)?
British Dictionary definitions for also-ran
noun
Idioms and Phrases with also-ran
Loser, failure, unsuccessful individual, as in Jane feared that her candidate, a terrible speaker, would end up as an also-ran, or As for getting promotions, Mark counted himself among the also-rans. This term comes from racing, where it describes a horse that finishes in fourth place or lower or does not finish a race at all. It first appeared in the 1890s in published racing results, and has since been transferred to losers in any kind of competition, and also more broadly to persons who simply don't do well.