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
Against impossible odds, D’Tigress transforms from underdogs to unstoppable, becoming the first African team to reach an Olympic quarterfinal.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
UConn comes into the game as a 6 1/2-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the third straight game the oddsmakers have picked the Huskies to lose.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Now the underdog program that Calhoun took to its first title has a chance to draw a very hard line in the sand between Connecticut and everyone else.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
Hurley made a point to mention after Saturday’s win over Illinois that the Huskies were underdogs despite beating them by 13 points in November.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
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Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
UConn comes into the game as a 6 1/2-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the third straight game the oddsmakers have picked the Huskies to lose.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Now the underdog program that Calhoun took to its first title has a chance to draw a very hard line in the sand between Connecticut and everyone else.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
Hurley made a point to mention after Saturday’s win over Illinois that the Huskies were underdogs despite beating them by 13 points in November.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 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 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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