David vs Goliath
Mismatch favoring weakness
David vs Goliath describes a contest between a much smaller or weaker opponent and a dominant one, alluding to the biblical story where the shepherd boy David defeats the giant warrior Goliath with a sling.
The phrase usually implies the underdog has a fighting chance: It's a David vs Goliath matchup, but the startup has disrupted bigger companies before.
Also David and Goliath.
- underdogPresumed loser beforehand
- little guyOrdinary person, not powerful
- giantBeing of huge size
- unlikely heroImprobable savior figure
- slingshotForked projectile launcher
stone · battle · fight back · triumph · courage · faith · shepherd · warrior · biblical · odds · tall order · victory · beat the odds · against all odds · long shot · weakness · strength · small
- Upsetsupset, upset victory, upset win, underdog victory, underdog win
- mythic warsRagnarok, war in heaven, twilight of the gods, order vs chaos, Armageddon
David vs Goliathlevel playing field
Equal competitive conditions
clash of titans · toss-up · dead heat · heavyweight bout · superpower rivalry
David vs Goliathforegone conclusion
Result assumed beforehand
steamroller · blowout · crushing defeat · curb stomp · rout