Meaning
黑马 literally means 'black horse' but is used metaphorically to describe a competitor or candidate who unexpectedly wins or performs far better than anticipated. It refers to someone who comes from behind or wasn't favored to succeed but ends up achieving victory or outstanding results.
Usage
Commonly used in contexts like sports competitions, elections, business startups, and entertainment industry breakthroughs. The term carries a positive connotation of pleasant surprise and overcoming expectations. Often appears in phrases like '成为黑马' (to become a dark horse) or '黑马选手' (dark horse contestant).
Examples
- 01这部小成本电影成了今年的票房黑马。.This low-budget film became this year's box office dark horse.
- 02没想到他会杀出重围，成为比赛的黑马。, .No one expected him to break through and become the dark horse of the competition.
Characters
Measure words
- 匹一匹黑马
Common collocations
- 成为黑马to become a dark horse
- 黑马选手dark horse contestant
- 杀出黑马a dark horse emerges
- 票房黑马box office dark horse
Antonyms
Origin
Borrowed from the English idiom 'dark horse,' which originated from 19th-century horse racing where an unknown horse with dark coloring would unexpectedly win. The Chinese translation preserves both the literal and figurative meaning.