dark horse

D d

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [dahrk hawrs]
- /dɑrk hɔrs/
- /dɑːk hɔːs/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [dahrk hawrs]
- /dɑrk hɔrs/

Definitions of dark horse words

countable noun dark horse If you describe someone as a dark horse, you mean that people know very little about them, although they may have recently had success or may be about to have success. 3
noun dark horse a competitor in a race or contest about whom little is known; an unknown 3
noun dark horse a person who reveals little about himself or herself or his or her activities, esp one who has unexpected talents or abilities 3
noun dark horse a candidate who is unexpectedly nominated or elected 3
noun dark horse an unexpected winner in a horse race, thought beforehand to have very little chance 3
noun dark horse an almost unknown contestant regarded by few as a likely winner 3

See all 14 definitions of dark horse

Information block about the term

Origin of dark horse

First appearance:

before 1825

One of the 37% newest English words

First recorded in 1825-35

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Dark horse

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Dark horse

dark horse popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 42% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 68% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

dark horse usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for dark horse

noun dark horse

also-ran — If you describe someone as an also-ran, you mean that they have been or are likely to be unsuccessful in a contest.
long shot — a horse, team, etc., that has little chance of winning and carries long odds.
underdog — a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.
improbability — the quality or condition of being improbable; unlikelihood.
unknown — not known; not within the range of one's knowledge, experience, or understanding; strange; unfamiliar.

All 10 Synonyms of dark horse