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

Even with Skubal, the Padres would be big underdogs to climb that mountain and might not even make the trailhead. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026

The underdog colonists defeated a major military power and lit the beacon of liberty for people around the world. — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2026

The team, hailing from the archipelago off the coast of West Africa, has grown to represent the ultimate underdog. — Andrea Bossi, Allure, 3 July 2026

Cape Verde, the ultimate underdog, went toe-to-toe with a primary contender, shocking the soccer world with a 0-0 draw against Spain. — Amna Subhan, AJC.com, 1 July 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