noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈʌndəˌdɒɡ/
General-American:/ˈʌndɚˌdɔɡ/
General-American:/ˈʌndɚˌdɑɡ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH1 N D ER0 D AO2 G
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A competitor thought unlikely to win.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
They were the underdogs in the basketball competition.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: little guy, rank outsider
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Somebody at a disadvantage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bottom dog
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
one at a disadvantage and expected to lose
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: failure, loser, nonstarter, unsuccessful person
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Indo-European *h1entér 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.
Across languages
Translations
62 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُسْتَضْعَف
(mustaḍʕaf)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Arabic:
غَيْر مُرَشَّح
(ḡayr muraššaḥ)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Bulgarian:
аутса́йдер
(autsájder)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Catalan:
ventafocs
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Cantonese:
魚腩 /鱼腩
(jyu4 naam5)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
失敗者 /失败者
(shībàizhě)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
受迫者
(shòupòzhě)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
劣勢方 /劣势方
(lièshì fāng)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
不被看好的一方
(bù bèi kàn hǎo de yī fāng)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
弱旅
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
魚腩 /鱼腩
(yúnǎn)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Czech:
outsider
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Danish:
outsider
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Dutch:
underdog
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Esperanto:
eksterulo
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Finnish:
altavastaaja
— competitor thought unlikely to win
French:
outsider
— competitor thought unlikely to win
German:
Außenseiter
— competitor thought unlikely to win
German:
Underdog
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Hebrew:
אנדרדוג
(ánderdog)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Hungarian:
esélytelen
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Indonesian:
bedebah
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Indonesian:
pecundang
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Italian:
perdente
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Italian:
outsider
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Italian:
underdog
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Japanese:
敗残者
(haizansha)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Macedonian:
а́утсајдер
(áutsajder)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Polish:
słabsza, niedoceniana strona
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Portuguese:
azarão
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Russian:
аутса́йдер
(autsájdɛr)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Russian:
андердо́г
(andɛrdóg)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Russian:
проигра́вший
(proigrávšij)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Russian:
побеждённая сторона́
(pobeždjónnaja storoná)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Russian:
подчини́вшаяся сторона́
(podčinívšajasja storoná)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Russian:
неуда́чник
(neudáčnik)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Spanish:
tapado
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Spanish:
cenicienta
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Spanish:
maleta
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Spanish:
mindundi
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Spanish:
último mono
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Swedish:
underdog
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Swedish:
mindrevärdig
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Swedish:
loser
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Thai:
มวยรอง
(muai-rɔɔng)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Thai:
ไก่รองบ่อน
(gài-rɔɔng-bɔ̀n)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Thai:
เบี้ยล่าง
(bîia-lâang)
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Turkish:
ezilen kişi
— competitor thought unlikely to win
Chinese Mandarin:
弱者
(ruòzhě)
— somebody at a disadvantage
Chinese Mandarin:
處於劣勢的人 /处于劣势的人
(chǔyú lièshì de rén)
— somebody at a disadvantage
Chinese Mandarin:
屌丝
(diǎosī)
— somebody at a disadvantage
Esperanto:
malfavorulo
— somebody at a disadvantage
Finnish:
altavastaaja
— somebody at a disadvantage
Hungarian:
hátrányos helyzetű
— somebody at a disadvantage
Hungarian:
elnyomott
— somebody at a disadvantage
Icelandic:
lítilmagni
— somebody at a disadvantage
Italian:
oppresso
— somebody at a disadvantage
Italian:
underdog
— somebody at a disadvantage
Japanese:
弱者
(jakusha)
— somebody at a disadvantage
Polish:
osoba w niekorzystnej sytuacji
— somebody at a disadvantage
Portuguese:
desfavorecido
— somebody at a disadvantage
