underdog

noun

un·​der·​dog ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg 

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

Brazilian side Fluminense, on the other hand, is a heavy underdog at longer than 10-to-1 odds. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

Like most great underdog stories, Rudy is sentimental and a bit formulaic. —Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025

Fold, Learn, Lead Sport has always celebrated resilience: the underdog comeback, the gritty overtime victory. —Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 5 July 2025

Regarding over dramatizations, Sonny’s sudden re-introduction to F1 makes for a compelling underdog story and generational clash with his teammate but in reality, nobody gets a seat in real-world F1 without arduously clawing their way up through Formula 2, Formula 3 and other motorsport leagues. —Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

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