runner-up

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˌrʌnərˈʌp/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(run′ər up′)

Inflections of 'runner-up' (n): npl: runners-up

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈrun•ner-ˈup,  n. [countable], pl. run•ners-up. 
  1. the player, team, or competitor finishing in second place.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
run•ner-up  (run′ər up′),USA pronunciation n., pl. run•ners-up. 
  1. the competitor, player, or team finishing in second place, as in a race, contest, or tournament.
  2. runners-up, the competitors who do not win a contest but who place ahead of the majority of the contestants and share in prizes or honors, as those who place second, third, and fourth, or in the top ten.
  • 1835–45

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
runner-up n ( pl runners-up)
  1. a contestant finishing a race or competition in second place
'runner-up' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Le Pen - majority - plurality - relative majority - consolation prize

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "runner-up" in the title:


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