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

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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. Edgar Watson Howe:

    The underdog often starts the fight, and occasionally the upper dog deserves to win.

  2. Jim Obergefell:

    I took a history making fight for equal rights all the way to the Supreme Court and won. I don't mind being the underdog, and I'm not afraid to take on any issue when it's the right thing to do. I will bring that same fighting spirit as your state representative.

  3. Rick Santorum:

    It is, in many respects, a humbling experience... If I didn't love it I wouldn't do it, 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.

  4. Lily James as Cinderella:

    It's the story of the underdog, that you root for the girl who has nothing but deserves so much more because she's so good and kind.

  5. John Kasich:

    If the governor does eventually plunge into the race, one thing seems guaranteed : He would be, by a large margin, the Republican field's most provocative voice. No, he likely would n’t win, and he might well get the snot kicked out of him. But more than any other underdog flirting with 2016, John Kasich — defiant, outspoken, critical of conservatism from within — could upend the tenor of the primary season. [ Calendar of a candidate - Ohio Gov. John Kasich will be making stops in South Carolina and New Hampshire at the end of the month. Columbus [ Ohio ] Dispatch :.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

underdog#10000#27120#100000

Translations for underdog

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"underdog." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/underdog>.

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