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

Rookie coach Mike LaFleur had an excellent game plan and QB Jacoby Brissett executed it well to lead Arizona, which was a 9 ½-point underdog. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

With a script from director Barry Jenkins, Morrison crafted a classic underdog story with strong performances and a feel-good ending. — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

The Arizona Cardinals, one of the day’s biggest underdogs, put away the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

David was an underdog, often underlooked in the Bay Area music scene, but was never afraid to give free ideas and unwavering support without expectation ever … David and I hustled. — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 11 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