English idiom · neutral · spoken & written · BrE & AmE
a dark horse: meaning and examples
a dark horse means a person with unexpected abilities or chances of success.
Aprende la expresión como una unidad fija y observa la preposición y la forma verbal en los ejemplos.
این عبارت را بهصورت یک واحد ثابت یاد بگیرید و به حرف اضافه و شکل فعل در مثالها توجه کنید.
Lerne die Wendung als feste Einheit und achte in den Beispielen auf Präposition und Verbform.
Apprenez l’expression comme une unité fixe et observez la préposition et la forme verbale dans les exemples.
Memory hook: Build a clear mental picture from “a dark horse” and connect it to this meaning: a person with unexpected abilities or chances of success.
How to use “a dark horse”
- Nobody expected her to win; she was the dark horse.
- The quiet candidate could be a dark horse.
Common mistake: Treat “a dark horse” as a fixed expression. Notice its exact word order in the examples.
Learn it in context
This expression belongs to Lesson 11, where you can compare it with other idioms about character and practise it interactively.
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