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
Mike Wise2
: a victim of injustice or persecution
… portrayed himself as an honest underdog that the Government would do anything to stop.—Michael Specter
Michael SpecterExamples 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
Brunson has the ultimate underdog story, but Alvarado’s is similarly inspiring.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026
On Saturday, Curacao, a heavy underdog to Ecuador, rode a hot goalkeeper to a 0-0 draw, notching the first point for the island nation in its World Cup debut.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Leviatán were arguably considered underdogs in all these matches, but overcame the odds to make the final and set up a rematch against Paper Rex.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Criticism towards head coach Marcelo Bielsa has been mounting, owing to an inconsistent run of results and performances in late 2025 and 2026, and a draw against underdog opposition did little to silence the dissenting voices.
—The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for underdog
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026
On Saturday, Curacao, a heavy underdog to Ecuador, rode a hot goalkeeper to a 0-0 draw, notching the first point for the island nation in its World Cup debut.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Leviatán were arguably considered underdogs in all these matches, but overcame the odds to make the final and set up a rematch against Paper Rex.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Criticism towards head coach Marcelo Bielsa has been mounting, owing to an inconsistent run of results and performances in late 2025 and 2026, and a draw against underdog opposition did little to silence the dissenting voices.
—The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for underdog
Cite this Entry
“Underdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdog. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
