underdog

American  

[uhn-der-dawg, -dog] / ˈʌn dərˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /

noun

• underdogs
  plural

1. a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.

2. a victim of social or political injustice.

   The underdogs were beginning to organize their protests.

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underdog British  

/ ˈʌndəˌdɒɡ /

noun

1. the competitor least likely to win a fight or contest

2. a person in adversity or in a position of inferiority

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• underdogs
  plural

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!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

underdog underdogs

Laboe points out Curry Barker’s box office underdog “Obsession” as the latest example of a major low-budget indie success.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

"He came in there as a big underdog after fighting relatively at a lower level up until now, but he really showed that he can operate at a higher level. Huge credit to him."

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Wach has lost seven of his past 10 fights and is a significant underdog on paper, but Fury insisted the veteran presents a sterner test than Joshua's opponent, Albanian Prenga.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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

DNA, once the underdog of all biological molecules, was thrust into the limelight.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

A recommitment to the outcasts, the overlooked, the underdogs of society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

And on this point, the Norwegians are willing to concede that they are underdogs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

What to watch out for: While Morocco's run to the last four in Qatar was a surprise, this side contending in the United States are much more than plucky underdogs.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

That bold prediction has come to pass, and now Bubista hopes Cape Verde's achievements at the expanded tournament can inspire other underdogs around the globe.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

The British had the best uniforms and the shiny new guns, but there was something exciting about the Patriots—being underdogs and fighting off the mighty British army.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Related Words

• dark horse
• longshot