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

The former Crown Downtown members, Gutierrez said, are used to the role of underdog. — Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026

The fact that the rebuilding Dolphins, an 11-point underdog early in the practice week, lost to the Chiefs, 24-10, in their home opener at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday is encouraging to many. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026

The Raiders actually also upset the Chiefs in 2020 as a double-digit underdog. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026

That underdog-type excitement for a player who once dominated the MetLife Stadium turf added an extra bolt of energy to the building enthusiasm for John Harbaugh’s first season. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 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