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runner-up

runner-up

47 2.7
A person or team that finishes second in an event
  • noun
  • /ˈrʌnər ʌp/
translation icon : subcampeón
  • Both were Miss California, both wound up first runner up in the Miss USA, you know, national title pageant.
  • selected as the runner-up

So you were runner up on Barstool's first reality show.

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Examples

  • She was the runner-up in the singing competition, losing by just a few votes.

  • And I was actually the runner-up by a handful of votes.

  • Then they always say, and the first runner up is Miss so and so.

  • Maybe there will be a runner up prize.

  • And I also have a special runner up and honorable mention.

  • Let's get a shot with the runner-up.

  • You won a major this year, even if the runner-up was far more memorable.

    Blog text (16)
  • So the runner up for best cookie goes to Famous Amos.

  • She was runner-up in the regional Little Miss Sunshine?

  • Martin was the runner-up to Chretien in the Liberal Party's contentious leadership race in 1990.

    Academic text (2017)

Synonyms

second best
vsrunner-up
8 1.8

A person or team that finishes second in a competition

is the standard neutral term used in results and announcements
first loser
vsrunner-up
  • Informal
1 7.9

A person or team that finishes second in a competition

is the neutral competitive term rather than a joking informal label

How Successful

winner
1.0
runner-up
47 2.7
loser
166 1.0

Surface Forms

runner-up singular
runner-ups plural

Morphology

runner-up = runner (semi-transparent) = up + runner

The components 'runner' and 'up' are clear, but the conventionalized meaning 'second-place finisher' is a fixed idiomatic use not strictly deducible from the parts. [Postprocessing: moved 'up' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The word runner-up comes from the parts runner ('someone who runs') and up ('near the top'), so think of a person who ran well and came close to first place. That's why a runner-up is the competitor who finishes just behind the winner, in second place.