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 filmmaker’s passion for foolhardy underdogs and train-wreck charmers electrifies this tale of a postwar striver (an unbelievable Timothée Chalamet) trying to make his name in table tennis. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025

The coup de grâce is a wagon packed with flaming barrels, which is shepherded down a hill and into the front of the Van Ness manor, setting it ablaze and offering a defiant victory for the underdogs. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025

Kim Yo-han (Wei) tackled the rugby underdog series The Winning Try. —Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2025

For the players, the coaches, and the fans, the 2025 ACC title is a moment to celebrate, proof that hard work, grit, and belief can turn the underdog into a champion. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 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