darkhorse
Unexpected political nominee
A dark horse is a competitor about whom little is known, making their chances hard to predict.
The term comes from horse racing—an unfamiliar horse whose abilities are uncertain.
In politics, a dark horse candidate emerges unexpectedly to become a serious contender: He was a dark horse who won the nomination on the fifth ballot.
More broadly, anyone who surprises others with hidden talents or unexpected success: She was the dark horse of the competition.
One excluded from group
- underestimatedMisjudged as inferior
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- unfanciedNot expected to win
- sleeperOne at rest
challenger · contender · longshot · comeback · against the odds · plucky · scrappy · upset
Not yet discovered
- enigmaticPuzzling and obscure
- secretiveInclined to conceal
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
unreadable · wild card · question mark · surprise element · hidden depths · unrevealed · low profile · under the radar
outsider
One excluded from group
- underestimatedMisjudged as inferior
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- unfanciedNot expected to win
sleeper · challenger · contender · longshot · comeback · against the odds · plucky · scrappy · upset · improbable
unknown
Not yet discovered
- enigmaticPuzzling and obscure
- secretiveInclined to conceal
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
unpredictable · unreadable · wild card · question mark · surprise element · hidden depths · unrevealed · low profile · under the radar · unassuming
odds
Likelihood expressed numerically
stake · punt · handicap · frontrunner · favorite · field · race · election · primary · candidate
darkhorsefrontrunner
Leading candidate or competitor
favorite · front-runner · sure thing · shoo-in · safe bet
darkhorseknown quantity
Established, predictable element
household name · big name · familiar face · veteran · public figure
dark, horse, darkness, darken, underdog, darkish, dark-horse