Dictionary.com

underdog

[ uhn-der-dawg, -dog ]
/ ˈʌn dərˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: underdog / underdogs on Thesaurus.com

noun
a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.
a victim of social or political injustice: The underdogs were beginning to organize their protests.
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

Origin of underdog

1875–80, Americanism;under- + dog
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use underdog in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underdog

underdog
/ (ˈʌndəˌdɒɡ) /

noun
the competitor least likely to win a fight or contest
a person in adversity or in a position of inferiority
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK