also-ran
nounEtymology From the world of horse race betting, where lists of winners would be published with non-paying positions printed in a block under the heading “Also Ran”.
1
A person or animal who competed in a race, or other competition, but did not win.
2
Figuratively A loser; a person or thing soon to be forgotten.
- It also turned Palmer from an also-ran into a challenger.1960 June 18, “Nerves of Steel”, in The New York Times:
- I have 37 actors and actresses I would supply for television and radio work and then I have maybe 150 to 200 also-rans who get extra work and television commercials.1962, Records of the Proceedings and Printed Papers of the Parliament, volume 4, Australia, page 261:
4 more examples
- […]some of Mr. Scorsese's accomplishments have been so stunning—that it's impossible to view "The Last Waltz" as anything but an also-ran.1978 April 26, Janet Maslin, “Film: Scorsese and the Band”, in The New York Times:
- And, of course, it is also far easier, quicker, and less embarrassing to dismiss an also-ran over the phone than it is in person […]1993, Martin Yate, Hiring the Best, Adams Media, page 58:
- […]as the drug came out of the R&D laboratory, it could have been just another also-ran […]1998, Richard C Dorf, The Technology Management Handbook, CRC Press, page 40:
- The transition from comer to also-ran can be quick […]2004 August 9, The New Yorker, page 40:
- Related terms
- first loser, nearly man, underdog