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
Brodie explores the allure of the pop-cultural underdog and writes about her characters’ chemistry and near-supernatural connection in a way that makes improv seem like literal magic.
—Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
But the heart of this action-comedy that’s really a high-concept girlfriend movie is Ginger Minj and Jujubee, their characterizations in perfect sync, their rapport endearing and their triumph-of-the-underdog arc something worth rooting for.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
Anthropic, once viewed as an underdog to OpenAI, has vaulted ahead of the ChatGPT maker in recent months on multiple fronts.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026
With their power ranking for the playoffs and their youth, the Diablos carried the profile of an underdog.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underdog
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Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
But the heart of this action-comedy that’s really a high-concept girlfriend movie is Ginger Minj and Jujubee, their characterizations in perfect sync, their rapport endearing and their triumph-of-the-underdog arc something worth rooting for.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
Anthropic, once viewed as an underdog to OpenAI, has vaulted ahead of the ChatGPT maker in recent months on multiple fronts.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026
With their power ranking for the playoffs and their youth, the Diablos carried the profile of an underdog.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 31 May 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 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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