underdog

noun

un·​der·​dog ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg 

1

: a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest

… the biggest obstacle has been the adjustment from underdog last season to contender …

—Mike Wise

2

: a victim of injustice or persecution

… portrayed himself as an honest underdog that the Government would do anything to stop.

—Michael Specter

Examples of underdog in a Sentence

I always root for the underdog instead of the favorite.

As a lawyer, she consistently represented the underdog.

Recent Examples on the Web

With that, the Australian reporters sighed and smiled and the underdog-loving fans here likely will as well. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Directed by Peter Farrelly of Green Book fame, this movie will give you heaps of Hollywood nostalgia and a happy dose of underdog narrative. — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

The best part of the fall is almost here, bringing in rookies, underdogs, defending Super Bowl champs and even a few furry teammates to the big screens. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

And Howell is Huckleberry, likable underdog and farm boy charmer. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for underdog

• analog
• analogue
• catalogue
• decalogue
• demagogue
• dialogue
• epilogue
• homologue
• monologue
• pedagogue
• synagogue
• tagalog

Kids Definition

underdog

noun

un·​der·​dog ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg 

: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle