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underdog

noun
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un·​der·​dog | \ ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg How to pronounce underdog (audio) \

Definition of underdog

1 : a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest
2 : a victim of injustice or persecution

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 as an underclassman, Renee wasn't afraid to stand up to the older kids and fight for the underdog. — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, "Renee Montgomery opts out of 2020 WNBA to focus on social justice: 'It's that real'," 23 June 2020 The Mets had been a joke during the their eight measly years of existence, but not to Karin, ever the champion of the underdog. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Sporting Green reader memories: Joe DiMaggio sightings, Giants make ’62 playoffs," 20 June 2020 Reason for pessimism: Despite its underdog status, Oklahoma City leads the NBA in clutch record. — Callie Caplan, Dallas News, "Mavs playoff breakdown: Reasons for optimism, pessimism and key stats vs. 5 potential opponents," 18 June 2020 An underdog progressive candidate in Kentucky’s Democratic Senate primary has drawn a series of high-profile endorsements and a surge in fundraising in recent weeks, a sign of how the racial-justice movement is shaking up some contests. — Siobhan Hughes, WSJ, "Protests Raise Profile of African-American State Legislator in Kentucky Senate Primary," 18 June 2020 Plump and his Milan teammates captured the imagination of the state (and nation) with an inspiring underdog run in 1954. — Matthew Glenesk, The Indianapolis Star, "Indiana By The Numbers: Who wore it best? No. 25," 18 June 2020 Betting on the underdog has become a habit for Barros, who made a name for himself in Brazil’s financial circles fishing for bottom-of-the-barrel valuations like Magazine Luiza SA. — Vinicius Andrade, Bloomberg.com, "Fund Tycoon Says He Ran Out of Cash Betting on Stocks in Brazil," 14 June 2020 Despite her ranking and resume, Eye will actually be the underdog in this matchup. — oregonlive, "How to watch UFC Fight Night 174 live on ESPN Plus (6/13/2020): Fight card, odds, TV channel, Cynthia Calvillo vs Jessica Eye preview," 13 June 2020 As the underdog, Mr Trump should welcome this uncertainty. — The Economist, "Model voters Meet our US 2020 election forecasting model," 11 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'underdog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of underdog

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Time Traveler for underdog

Time Traveler

The first known use of underdog was in 1859

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Statistics for underdog

Last Updated

26 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Underdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdog. Accessed 4 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for underdog

underdog

noun
How to pronounce underdog (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of underdog

: a person, team, etc., that is expected to lose a contest or battle
: a less powerful person or thing that struggles against a more powerful person or thing (such as a corporation)

See the full definition for underdog in the English Language Learners Dictionary

underdog

noun
un·​der·​dog | \ ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg How to pronounce underdog (audio) \

Kids Definition of underdog

: a person or team thought to have little chance of winning (as an election or a game)

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More from Merriam-Webster on underdog

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for underdog

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with underdog

Spanish Central: Translation of underdog

Nglish: Translation of underdog for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of underdog for Arabic Speakers

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