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noun
1.
Sports.
a.
(in a race) a contestant who fails to win or to place among the first three finishers.
b.
an athlete or team whose performance in competition is rarely, if ever, a winning or near-winning one.
2.
Informal. a person who loses a contest, election, or other competition.
3.
Informal. a person who attains little or no success: For every great artist there are a thousand also-rans.
Origin:
1895–1900
1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Also-ran
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
| also-ran | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a contestant, horse, etc, failing to finish among the first three in a race |
| 2. | an unsuccessful person; loser or nonentity |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
also-ran
Loser, failure, unsuccessful individual, as in Jane feared that her candidate, a terrible speaker, would end up as an also-ran, or As for getting promotions, Mark counted himself among the also-rans. This term comes from racing, where it describes a horse that finishes in fourth place or lower or does not finish a race at all. It first appeared in the 1890s in published racing results, and has since been transferred to losers in any kind of competition, and also more broadly to persons who simply don't do well.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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