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 Raiders have long been associated with an underdog, anti-establishment spirit that appeals to people far beyond football. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

The Best OnePlus Cyber Monday Tablet Deals The OnePlus Pad 3 is the ultimate underdog in the tablet world. —PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Generations went by between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, a massive movie event that took its cues squarely from A New Hope for its adventurous tone, its underdog story, and its characters. —Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025

At least one opportunistic underdog should make the Play-In Tournament as a top-10 seed. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 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