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
The Panthers, who are 7-point underdogs to San Francisco (7-4), rarely embarrass themselves in this showcase.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Nov. 2025
Sylvester Stallone — who also wrote the film — cemented his screen persona here as the titular underdog boxer who is counted out time and time again, only to prove his worth in a match against the world heavyweight champion.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
Dallas is a 3-point underdog to Philadelphia.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Nov. 2025
Let’s get a little crazy and sift through the potential fallout of an epic rivalry weekend underdog uprising involving the Mississippi-Mississippi State; Georgia-Georgia Tech; Auburn-Alabama; Michigan-Ohio State and Texas-Texas A&M.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
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Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Nov. 2025
Sylvester Stallone — who also wrote the film — cemented his screen persona here as the titular underdog boxer who is counted out time and time again, only to prove his worth in a match against the world heavyweight champion.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
Dallas is a 3-point underdog to Philadelphia.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Nov. 2025
Let’s get a little crazy and sift through the potential fallout of an epic rivalry weekend underdog uprising involving the Mississippi-Mississippi State; Georgia-Georgia Tech; Auburn-Alabama; Michigan-Ohio State and Texas-Texas A&M.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underdog
Cite this Entry
“Underdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdog. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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