- Sports.
- (in a race) a contestant who fails to win or to place among the first three finishers.
- an athlete or team whose performance in competition is rarely, if ever, a winning or near-winning one.
- a person who loses a contest, election, or other competition.
- a person who attains little or no success: For every great artist there are a thousand also-rans.
- a contestant, horse, etc, failing to finish among the first three in a race
- an unsuccessful person; loser or nonentity
