What does "Dark Horse" mean?

Person with hidden talents Unknown abilities that may surprise.

How do you use "Dark Horse" in a sentence?

A dark horse in the competition.

Dark Horse

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

Meaning: Person with hidden talents

有隐藏才能的人

Persona con talentos ocultos

隠れた才能を持つ人

숨겨진 재능을 가진 사람

Unknown abilities that may surprise.

拥有可能令人惊讶的未知能力。

Habilidades desconocidas que pueden sorprender.

周囲を驚かせるような、知られていない能力を持っている。

놀라게 할 수 있는 알려지지 않은 능력.

Examples

A dark horse in the competition.
比赛中的黑马
un caballo oscuro en la competición
その大会でのダークホース
그 대회의 다크호스.

Pronunciation

/dɑːk hɔːs/

Usage Guide

Context: competition

Tone: intrigued

✓ Do Say

A dark horse
黑马
un caballo oscuro
ダークホース
다크호스

✗ Don't Say

Horse racing origin
源自赛马用语
Origen en las carreras de caballos
競馬用語が由来
경마에서 유래

Common Mistakes

About potential, not sinister

Origin & History

From horse racing—unknown winner.

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Political races

Regional notes: Universal.

Variations

Dark horse