dark horse
12
4.8
- noun
- /dɑrk hɔrs/
- The local artist became a dark horse in the contest, impressing the judges with her unique style.
- dark horse candidate
- dark horse contender
- dark horse team
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Watch on YouTubeIn my mind, geothermal is the dark horse of the race to clean energy.
- In my mind, geothermal is the dark horse of the race to clean energy.
- Germany will be yeah, as a, as a dark horse.
- Loving past our final Oscar for sanctimonious leftists Pretending they are better than you is a dark horse contender when you consider he's not even an actor.
Examples
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And I'm telling you, folks, there's been a growing buzz that this kid may be a dark horse in this year's NFL draft.
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"Andre is considered the dark horse of this tournament and that's just fine with us," said Shaw.
Blog text (19) -
Next kid's a bit of a dark horse.
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I will say you guys are my dark horses for this competition.
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Is there a dark horse candidate out there for the Democrats?
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Apple's the dark horse in this race, and probably the biggest single threat to Amazon's dominance.
Blog text (11) -
The film could be considered a dark horse for best picture and is getting buzz for screenplay and supporting actor John Goodman.
Blog text (23) -
If Lawson has a breakout fourth season, next spring could see Denver as a dark horse title contender.
Blog text (7) -
This unexpected team is considered a dark horse in the championship, surprising everyone with their skill.
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Many people think she is a dark horse in the election, as few know about her impressive background.
Synonyms
12
5.3
Something that becomes popular later than people expect
1
9.8
A person expected to lose who wins against the odds
Antonyms
How Likely
Surface Forms
Morphology
dark + horse
The sense 'an unexpected or little-known winner' is not predictably built from 'dark' (suggesting color, secrecy, or negativity) plus 'horse' (the animal); a learner who knows the literal meanings would most likely infer something like a mysterious or hidden animal, not a surprise contender. The expression is idiomatic (historically from horse‑racing usage) and varies cross‑linguistically, so its conventional meaning is not transparently derivable by a B1 learner.
Etymology
The noun dark horse comes from old horse races where a dark horse was a horse people did not know about before the race. When such a horse won, it surprised everyone, so today 'dark horse' means a person or team little known who unexpectedly succeeds.