underdog

underdog — noun

1. The competitor, whether an individual or a team, that is expected to lose becaus

1.nounB2
Definition

The competitor, whether an individual or a team, that is expected to lose because of their perceived weakness or lower ranking.

Example

Everyone was surprised when the underdog team won the championship.

underdog team (attributive noun)

Marco placed a bet on the underdog to make the match more exciting.

bet on the underdog (collocation)

Common collocations
  • underdog team
  • underdog candidate
  • underdog story
  • underdog victory
  • root for the underdog
Synonyms
  • outsider

    common in British sports journalism; less emotional tone

  • long shot

    from betting; focuses on low probability rather than personal sympathy

  • dark horse

    different — emphasizes being unknown rather than expected to lose

Antonyms
  • favorite

    the competitor expected to win

  • frontrunner

    the leading competitor in a race or contest

  • champion

    the current title holder, not just expected to win

Grammar Patterns

the underdog

an underdog

underdog + noun (e.g. underdog team)

Usage Note

Very common in sports journalism and competition narratives. The opposite of the underdog is the 'favorite' — the competitor expected to win.

Common Mistakes

That horse is an underdog because nobody knows anything about it.
That horse is a dark horse because nobody knows anything about it.
'underdog' means expected to lose; 'dark horse' means unknown with a chance to surprise.

2. Any individual or community that has fewer advantages, resources, or influence c

2.nounB2
Definition

Any individual or community that has fewer advantages, resources, or influence compared to most other members of society.

Example

Nikhil grew up in a poor neighborhood and felt like an underdog in the world of finance.

underdog + in [domain/field]

The charity was founded to help underdog communities gain access to education.

Common collocations
  • underdog communities
  • underdog status
  • underdog position
  • root for the underdog
Synonyms
  • disadvantaged person

    more literal and direct, less idiomatic

  • have-not

    informal; focuses specifically on lack of material wealth

  • outsider

    emphasizes exclusion from a group rather than lack of power

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the underdog

an underdog

underdogs

Usage Note

Often used in the plural (underdogs) when referring to disadvantaged groups or communities. This sense is common in discussions about social inequality, poverty, and systemic disadvantage.

Common Mistakes

He is an underdog because he lost the match.
He is an underdog because he was expected to lose the match.
'underdog' describes the expectation before the outcome, not the fact of having lost.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone thought unlikely to win, but the flavour differs. An 'underdog' carries sympathy — the crowd often roots for them, as people love a comeback story. An 'outsider' is more neutral; it simply says the person or team is not part of the established circle of contenders, without the emotional appeal. A 'long shot' comes from betting and focuses purely on the low probability of success — you would say 'a 50-to-1 long shot' but not 'a 50-to-1 underdog'. A 'dark horse' is different again: an unknown who might actually win, not someone expected to lose. In a tournament, the unseeded player who shocks everyone is a dark horse; the fifth-seeded player everyone counts out is an underdog.

underdog ↗outsiderlong shotdark horse

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • underdog in
  • underdog against
  • root for the underdog
  • underdog wins

Etymology

English

A compound of 'under' and 'dog', first recorded in the mid-1800s in the context of dogfighting, where the 'under dog' was the one pinned beneath its opponent. By the late 19th century, the term had broadened to any person or group in a losing position, and it later took on the positive, sympathetic overtones it carries today — someone worth cheering for because they face long odds.