underdog en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈʌndɚˌdɔɡ/ (General-American)
- /ˈʌndɚˌdɑɡ/ (General-American)
- /ˈʌndəˌdɒɡ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Indo-European *h₂én Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi ? Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- Old English [Term?]? Proto-Germanic *-gô Proto-West Germanic *-gō Old English -ga Old English dogga Middle English dogge English dog English underdog From under- + dog.
Meanings
-
A competitor thought unlikely to win.
The visit of a Championship side would not normally send a shiver down their spine but they knew that Wigan were underdogs who would snap at their heels and that they possessed a potent bite if they were not kept on a firm leash.
2014 March 9, Jacob Steinberg, “Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 07 Aug 2020:In Athens, the Americans are underdogs to the Chinese and the Canadians (the Canadians!)
2004 August 30, The New Yorker, page 40:They were the underdogs in the basketball competition.
You certainly can’t imagine an American version of Flitcroft’s story: Hollywood finds little ironic joy in shambling, defeated men, which is why they have a monopoly on underdog sports films to begin with.
2022 July 23, Guy Lodge, “Streaming: The Phantom of the Open and the best underdog sports films”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2022:
-
Somebody at a disadvantage.
Laszlo: Isn't it strange that you always happened to be fighting on the side of the underdog? Rick: Yes. I found that a very expensive hobby, too. But then I never was much of a businessman.
1942, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Casablanca:
- A high swing wherein the person pushing the swing runs beneath the swing while the person being pushed is at the forward limit of the arc.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| underdogs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
top dog · shoo-in · favourite · sure bet · safe bet · favorite
Deriveds
underdoggy · underdoggism · underdoggish · underdogism
Relateds
Synonyms
rank outsider · little guy · bottom dog
Translations (66)
ru андердо́г (competitor thought unlikely to win) · cmn 受迫者 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · cmn 弱者 (somebody at a disadvantage) · ja 敗残者 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ru подчини́вшаяся сторона́ (competitor thought unlikely to win) · pl osoba w niekorzystnej sytuacji (somebody at a disadvantage) · it perdente (competitor thought unlikely to win) · cmn 魚腩 /鱼腩 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · pl słabsza, niedoceniana strona (competitor thought unlikely to win) · it outsider (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ar غَيْر مُرَشَّح (competitor thought unlikely to win) · es tapado (competitor thought unlikely to win) · es cenicienta (competitor thought unlikely to win) · es sotanero (somebody at a disadvantage) · es maleta (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ru аутса́йдер (competitor thought unlikely to win) · fi altavastaaja (competitor thought unlikely to win) · is lítilmagni (somebody at a disadvantage) · th มวยรอง (competitor thought unlikely to win) · mk а́утсајдер (competitor thought unlikely to win) · de Außenseiter (competitor thought unlikely to win) · eo malfavorulo (somebody at a disadvantage) · cs outsider (competitor thought unlikely to win) · th ไก่รองบ่อน (competitor thought unlikely to win) · es último mono (competitor thought unlikely to win) · de Underdog (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ar مُسْتَضْعَف (competitor thought unlikely to win) · tr ezilen kişi (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ru неуда́чник (competitor thought unlikely to win) · da underdog (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ru проигра́вший (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ja 弱者 (somebody at a disadvantage) · da underhund (competitor thought unlikely to win) · cmn 弱旅 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · hu elnyomott (somebody at a disadvantage) · eo eksterulo (competitor thought unlikely to win) · sv underdog (competitor thought unlikely to win) · da outsider (competitor thought unlikely to win) · id bedebah (competitor thought unlikely to win) · it underdog (competitor thought unlikely to win) · pt desfavorecido (somebody at a disadvantage) · he אנדרדוג (competitor thought unlikely to win) · da underhund (somebody at a disadvantage) · cmn 處於劣勢的人 /处于劣势的人 (somebody at a disadvantage) · nl underdog (competitor thought unlikely to win) · hu hátrányos helyzetű (somebody at a disadvantage) · cmn 劣勢方 /劣势方 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · it underdog (somebody at a disadvantage) · cmn 失敗者 /失败者 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · cmn 不被看好的一方 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · sv mindrevärdig (competitor thought unlikely to win) · sv loser (competitor thought unlikely to win) · da underdog (somebody at a disadvantage) · yue 魚腩 /鱼腩 (competitor thought unlikely to win) · th เบี้ยล่าง (competitor thought unlikely to win) · es mindundi (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ru побеждённая сторона́ (competitor thought unlikely to win) · it oppresso (somebody at a disadvantage) · cmn 屌丝 (somebody at a disadvantage) · fr outsider (competitor thought unlikely to win) · ca ventafocs (competitor thought unlikely to win) · bg аутса́йдер (competitor thought unlikely to win) · id pecundang (competitor thought unlikely to win) · hu esélytelen (competitor thought unlikely to win) · pt azarão (competitor thought unlikely to win) · fi altavastaaja (somebody at a disadvantage)