The underdog is the side everyone expects to lose — the weaker team, the smaller company, the candidate with no money. It is used constantly in sport ('Taiwan went in as underdogs'), and just as much in politics, business and stories.

The underdog is the side everyone expects to loseunderdog指的是大家都預期會輸的那一方 — the weaker team, the smaller company, the candidate with no money比較弱的隊伍、比較小的公司、沒有錢的候選人。It is used constantly in sport這個字在體育裡常常用 ('Taiwan went in as underdogs')（像「Taiwan went in as underdogs」）, and just as much in politics, business and stories在政治、商業和故事裡也一樣常見。

The feeling attached to the word is the interesting part: English speakers tend to like underdogs. 'Everyone loves an underdog' is a set phrase, and 'the underdog story' is a whole genre of film. So calling a team the underdog is not really an insult; it is closer to saying they have nothing to lose and the crowd is on their side. Teams even claim the label on purpose to take the pressure off.

The feeling attached to the word is the interesting part這個字附帶的感情色彩才是有趣的地方: English speakers tend to like underdogs英語人士通常會喜歡underdog。'Everyone loves an underdog'「Everyone loves an underdog」 is a set phrase是固定說法, and 'the underdog story'而「the underdog story」 is a whole genre of film則是一整個電影類型。So calling a team the underdog is not really an insult所以叫一支隊伍underdog其實不算是侮辱; it is closer to saying they have nothing to lose and the crowd is on their side反而比較像是說他們沒什麼好輸的，而觀眾是站在他們那邊的。Teams even claim the label on purpose隊伍甚至會故意搶著要這個標籤 to take the pressure off好讓自己壓力小一點。

There is a second, older and sadder use, closer to the dictionary line: an underdog is a person who is always at the bottom and gets treated badly by those with power — 'he always stood up for the underdog'. That use is about injustice, not about odds.

There is a second, older and sadder use, closer to the dictionary line還有第二種比較舊、也比較悲傷的用法，更接近字典上的定義: an underdog is a person who is always at the bottom and gets treated badly by those with powerunderdog指的是那種一直處於底層、被有權力的人欺負的人 — 'he always stood up for the underdog'「he always stood up for the underdog」。That use is about injustice, not about odds這個用法談的是不公平，不是輸贏機率。

Note the article: you usually say 'the underdog' or 'an underdog', and the opposite is 'the favourite' — the one expected to win.

Note the article注意冠詞: you usually say 'the underdog' or 'an underdog'通常說「the underdog」或「an underdog」, and the opposite is 'the favourite'反義詞是「the favourite」 — the one expected to win被看好會贏的那一方。