Meaning & use
a dark horse
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person or thing that is not well known but may unexpectedly succeed or win.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a dark horse' or 'the dark horse'. Often followed by 'in' or 'for': 'a dark horse in the election'.
Patterns
- a dark horse in something
- a dark horse for something
- be a dark horse
The young senator was a dark horse in the presidential race.
That small company is a dark horse for the contract.
Nobody expected her to win, but she was the dark horse of the tournament.
nouncountable
A person who keeps their abilities, plans, or feelings secret from others.
Grammar: Countable. Often used in the phrase 'a bit of a dark horse' to describe someone mysterious.
Patterns
- a bit of a dark horse
- be a dark horse
He never talks about his past; he's a bit of a dark horse.
She's a dark horse—no one knew she could play the piano so well.
Word forms
| plural | dark horses |
|---|
Common combinations
- a dark horse candidate
- The party chose a dark horse candidate who had little national recognition.
- a dark horse in the race
- He entered the race late and became a dark horse in the election.
- a bit of a dark horse
- My quiet neighbor is a bit of a dark horse; he used to be a professional dancer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- underdog
- An underdog is a person or team expected to lose; a dark horse is not well known but may win, often because of hidden strength.
- unknown quantity
- An unknown quantity is someone or something whose abilities are not yet known; a dark horse suggests there may be surprising ability.
Opposites
Commonly confused: a dark horse or black horse?
a dark horse vs black horse
A black horse is simply a horse with black fur; a dark horse is an idiom about a mysterious or unexpected competitor.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a dark horse' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'A dark horse' means someone who is not well known but may unexpectedly succeed. So winning surprisingly fits. Losing predictably, being well known, or having no chance do not match the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a dark horse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.