Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

underdog

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

noun

  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.
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

"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

Etymology

Origin of underdog

1875–80, under- + dog ( def. )

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.

Apple has come a long way from its days as a scrappy underdog in the personal-computing world.

From MarketWatch

UConn’s upset means bettors who put money on the underdog will receive a larger payout.

From Barron's

The men’s Huskies are heavies, too, though a slight underdog Saturday against No. 3 seed Illinois.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gray Davis was a huge underdog who prevailed in a wide-open 1998 contest.

From Los Angeles Times

The team’s struggles made them beloved by those who identified with underdogs.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.