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

Larocca Jr and Finn Lente, who were billed as underdogs in this competition, were the last to go in the jump-off but ultimately finished second, winning €300,000. —The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 24 May 2026

Initially portrayed as an underdog, Bracco rose to become a dominant strategic force that landed a spot in the final three chairs alongside Tai Trang and Michele Fitzgerald. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 21 May 2026

Today, Holloway is listed at -400, while McGregor checks in as the +330 betting underdog. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026

Champion the tenacious underdogs. —Kevin J. Morrison, Mercury News, 19 May 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