A dark horse is a person whose talents nobody expected. The quiet new member turned out to be a dark horse: she had performed with a professional orchestra. In competitions, it's an unexpected contender who might win: the small club was a dark horse in the tournament.
When would you say a dark horse?
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be a dark horse; a dark horse in a competition; a dark-horse candidate
- The quiet new member turned out to be a dark horse: she had performed with a professional orchestra.
- The small coastal club was a dark horse in the regional tournament.
- Nobody expected the newcomer to win, but the dark horse reached the final.
What changed
First versionWe had no idea about his acting experience; he was dark horse.
RevisionWe had no idea about his acting experience; he was a dark horse.
Dark horse can sound like a description, like quiet or secretive, so the article drops out: he was dark horse. But it's an ordinary countable noun: he was a dark horse.
An underdog is the one expected to lose, the one nobody bets on. A dark horse is simply someone people know little about. An open book is a person who is easy to understand and has no secrets.
Your turn
Nobody knew she could compose music; she was ___.
Show the answer
a dark horse — Nobody knew about her talent, so she was a dark horse. An open book is exactly the opposite: a person with no secrets.
Describe someone you know who surprised everyone with a hidden skill, using a dark horse.
Our reserved accountant was a dark horse: at the charity concert, he played the piano brilliantly.
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