What does Underdog mean?

Definitions for Underdog
ˈʌn dərˌdɔg, -ˌdɒgun·der·dog

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Underdog.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. underdognoun

    one at a disadvantage and expected to lose

Wiktionary

  1. underdognoun

    A competitor thought unlikely to win.

  2. underdognoun

    Somebody at a disadvantage.

  3. underdognoun

    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.

  4. Etymology: From under + dog.

Wikipedia

  1. Underdog

    An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. An "underdog bet" is a bet on the underdog or outsider for which the odds are generally higher. The first recorded uses of the term occurred in the second half of the 19th century; its first meaning was "the beaten dog in a fight".In British and American culture, underdogs are highly regarded. This harkens to core Judeo-Christian stories, such as that of David and Goliath, and also ancient British legends such as Robin Hood and King Arthur, and reflects the ideal behind the American dream, where someone who is poor and/or weak can use hard work to achieve victory. Underdogs are most valorized in sporting culture, both in real events, such as the Miracle on Ice, and in popular culture depictions of sports, where the trope is omnipresent. The idea is so common that even when teams are evenly matched, spectators and commentators are drawn to establishing one side as the underdog. Historian David M. Potter explained that underdogs are appealing to Americans not because they simply beat the odds, but overcome an injustice that explains those odds - such as the game being unfairly rigged due to privilege and power. Sometimes a team or competitor may be technically the favorite in a game but be an underdog in the big picture, as they weren't expected to be in that kind of position, such as a Cinderella team in sports. In a story, the Fool is often an underdog if they are the main character. Their apparent ineptitude leads to people underestimating their true abilities, and they are able to win either through luck or hidden wisdom against a more powerful, "establishment" villain. An example in film is The Tramp portrayed by Charlie Chaplin.

ChatGPT

  1. underdog

    An underdog is a person, team, or group that is expected to lose or is less likely to succeed in a competition, struggle, or any challenging situation. It can also refer to a victim of social or political injustice. Despite their perceived disadvantage, underdogs often attract support from neutral observers due to their perceived determination or hard work to overcome challenges.

Wikidata

  1. Underdog

    Underdog is an American animated television series that debuted October 3, 1964, on the NBC network under the primary sponsorship of General Mills, and continued in syndication until 1973, for a run of 124 episodes. Underdog, Shoeshine Boy's heroic alter-ego, appeared whenever love interest Sweet Polly Purebred was being victimized by such villains as Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff. Underdog nearly always speaks in rhyme, as in, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!" His voice was supplied by Wally Cox.

Matched Categories

Anagrams for Underdog »

  1. grounded

  2. undergod

How to pronounce Underdog?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Underdog in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Underdog in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of Underdog in a Sentence

  1. Rick Santorum:

    We're sort of the patron saint of underdog candidates for president. We were the most unlikely of candidates to win and were not in the race until the very end.

  2. Rickie Fowler:

    We'll take the underdog spot but — when that day comes, basically it's a toss-up on who's got the hot putter, and could be just a battle throughout the day, we're going to go tee it up and try and beat up on each other as bad as possible but have some fun.

  3. Meredith Scardino:

    I think the spirit of the show about trappy underdog women in their 40s going up against a behemoth and trying to do something hard and a little bit crazy, that will continue.

  4. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum:

    It was a great campaign last time. We were clearly the underdog and we are starting out as looking at this race and we would be in the same position and so we are very comfortable there.

  5. Ivan Bravo:

    It's thrilling, there's always an underdog story, the little guy trying to punch above their weight story, and I think people will get behind it.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Underdog#10000#27120#100000

Translations for Underdog

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"Underdog." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Underdog>.

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    a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added above a basic melody
    A descant
    B suffuse
    C aberrate
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