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
Over the next 10 years, the Goo Goo Dolls would follow a trajectory of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and increasingly unlikely triumphs that more closely resembles a fictional underdog team from a Disney movie than a rock band.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 14 Feb. 2026
The American underdogs previously knocked off the South Korean team, another top competitor, out of the tournament.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Face led the National League with 68 appearances and 61 games finished in 1960, when the underdog Pirates stunned Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and the mighty Yankees on Bill Mazeroski's famous home run that won Game 7 of the World Series at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Hlavaj had a lot to do with the initial underdog story on the ice, fending off one onslaught after another as Slovakia was outshot 18-5 in the first period and 40-25 overall.
—Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
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Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 14 Feb. 2026
The American underdogs previously knocked off the South Korean team, another top competitor, out of the tournament.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Face led the National League with 68 appearances and 61 games finished in 1960, when the underdog Pirates stunned Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and the mighty Yankees on Bill Mazeroski's famous home run that won Game 7 of the World Series at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Hlavaj had a lot to do with the initial underdog story on the ice, fending off one onslaught after another as Slovakia was outshot 18-5 in the first period and 40-25 overall.
—Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 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 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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