underdog

noun

un·​der·​dog ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg How to pronounce underdog (audio)
Synonyms of underdognext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Women’s sports are no longer an underdog story waiting for easy applause but one of the most dynamic areas of modern sport, full of difficult, fascinating questions. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026 The slapstick feature follows an underdog women’s soccer squad that incorporates gravity-defying martial arts maneuvers to compete for a championship title. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026 If the Brewers and Dodgers meet again in October, Murphy will only be too happy to tell us who the underdog is. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Urbina’s 61-second stoppage as a plus-270 underdog and Oliveira’s debut knockout both had cases, but only Urbina got the nod. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underdog

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underdog was in 1859

Rhymes for underdog

See All Rhymes for underdog

Browse Nearby Words

underdo
underdog
underdone
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Cite this Entry

“Underdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdog. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

underdog

noun
un·​der·​dog ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg How to pronounce underdog (audio)
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle

More from Merriam-Webster on underdog

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for underdog

Nglish: Translation of underdog for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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