dark horse

noun

1

a

: a usually little known contender (such as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing

b

: an entrant in a contest that is judged unlikely to succeed

2

: a political candidate unexpectedly nominated usually as a compromise between factions

Examples of dark horse in a Sentence

The Democrat from Utah has gone from being a dark horse to the front-runner in the campaign for President.

The movie is a dark horse for the award.

He is a dark horse, but I did find out that he once played football professionally.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the sleeper dark horse contender is Benitez (Carlos Diehz), an archbishop from Kabul who ends up winning the position. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024

Cade Smith—a dark horse contender for Rookie of the Year—may have actually been more valuable this year than Clase. —Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024

Now, Audiard’s crime musical could become a dark horse for the prize. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 10 Oct. 2024

In an unexpected turn of events, the utilities sector has emerged as a dark horse in the stock market race, with some players outpacing even the high-flying tech giants. —Dan Irvine, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

dark horse

noun

: a contestant or a political figure whose abilities and chances of winning are not known

the convention nominated a dark horse