Boozer
10-26-04, 07:08PM
dark horse • \DARK-HORSS\ • noun
1 *a : a usually little known contender (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
Example sentence:
The small-budget independent film emerged as a dark horse, garnering more awards than any of the big-budget Hollywood favorites.
Did you know?
Sometimes in a horse race a horse whose name and ability are not widely known puts on a surprisingly good show and defeats its more famous rivals. Such a horse is called "dark," not because of its color (which might be anything), but because of its obscurity. Since the 19th century, the term "dark horse" has been extended from racehorses to obscure competitors who do unexpectedly well in contests of other kinds. Now it is often applied to candidates for elected office whose chances appear to be poor.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
I was marked as a dark horse to ever become something.
1 *a : a usually little known contender (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
Example sentence:
The small-budget independent film emerged as a dark horse, garnering more awards than any of the big-budget Hollywood favorites.
Did you know?
Sometimes in a horse race a horse whose name and ability are not widely known puts on a surprisingly good show and defeats its more famous rivals. Such a horse is called "dark," not because of its color (which might be anything), but because of its obscurity. Since the 19th century, the term "dark horse" has been extended from racehorses to obscure competitors who do unexpectedly well in contests of other kinds. Now it is often applied to candidates for elected office whose chances appear to be poor.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
I was marked as a dark horse to ever become something.