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

This financial promise highlights the market’s confidence in YG’s strategy for 2025 as a dark horse in the competitive K-pop industry. —Jeff Benjamin, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Houston entered the year as a dark horse title favorite and has largely fallen flat. —Chris Branch, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

As long as Cohen and Steinbrenner don't venture into the $700 million range, Toronto could be a dark horse team to bring Soto to town. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024

Fans saw him as a dark horse—especially after his viral petting moment—but does Jeremy win The Bachelorette Season 21? —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 12 Aug. 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