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
Mike Wise2
: a victim of injustice or persecution
… portrayed himself as an honest underdog that the Government would do anything to stop.—Michael Specter
Michael SpecterExamples 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
Somehow, this unlikely assemblage of personalities transformed a roster of scruffy underdogs into the Team of the ’80s.
—Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Building a Mystery retells the story of the underdog music festival that surpassed expectations and helped revolutionize the industry.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Cookie Fleck and her nerdy husband, Gerry (Levy), are the underdogs of the lot.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The series proceeds from a premise that immediately calls to mind the darkly comic horror movie The Substance, an underdog 2024 Best Picture contender that earned Oscar nominations for both its director, Coralie Fargeat, and its star, Demi Moore.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
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Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Building a Mystery retells the story of the underdog music festival that surpassed expectations and helped revolutionize the industry.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Cookie Fleck and her nerdy husband, Gerry (Levy), are the underdogs of the lot.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The series proceeds from a premise that immediately calls to mind the darkly comic horror movie The Substance, an underdog 2024 Best Picture contender that earned Oscar nominations for both its director, Coralie Fargeat, and its star, Demi Moore.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underdog
Cite this Entry
“Underdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdog. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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